Floreana Island
Today we visited the Mystery Island, rich in tales about pirates, sailors and mad settlers that have been visiting it since the Galápagos archipelago was discovered in 1535. This island was the home of buccaneers and whalers in the eighteen hundreds.
There is an interesting story about one of these sailors. He tried to kill the Captain of his boat. He organized a mutiny, the worst crime on board a ship, and his punishment was to be abandoned on Floreana. He lived alone for several years, The few sailors that passed by this area knew him as “the Hermit Overlus,” and exchanged rum for fruits and vegetables that the hermit managed to grow on the island.
Herman Melville wrote about a man that had been found in this island with a very weird looking face, long hair, long beard, and poorly covered body. The people from Galápagos say that this man continues to walk around the island.
But Floreana is also a place with an amazing wildlife. In the morning we had a nice glass bottom boat and several snorkeling outings. We saw many tropical fish and sharks. However my morning highlight was to find an octopus moving from one rock to another. It camouflaged its body pretty well, not only getting the color of the rocks, but also the texture of the surface of the rocks around. It was incredible!
The afternoon ended with the view of several pink flamingoes feeding in a brackish lagoon, illuminated by the sunset light. Floreana is rich in mysteries and beauty.
Today we visited the Mystery Island, rich in tales about pirates, sailors and mad settlers that have been visiting it since the Galápagos archipelago was discovered in 1535. This island was the home of buccaneers and whalers in the eighteen hundreds.
There is an interesting story about one of these sailors. He tried to kill the Captain of his boat. He organized a mutiny, the worst crime on board a ship, and his punishment was to be abandoned on Floreana. He lived alone for several years, The few sailors that passed by this area knew him as “the Hermit Overlus,” and exchanged rum for fruits and vegetables that the hermit managed to grow on the island.
Herman Melville wrote about a man that had been found in this island with a very weird looking face, long hair, long beard, and poorly covered body. The people from Galápagos say that this man continues to walk around the island.
But Floreana is also a place with an amazing wildlife. In the morning we had a nice glass bottom boat and several snorkeling outings. We saw many tropical fish and sharks. However my morning highlight was to find an octopus moving from one rock to another. It camouflaged its body pretty well, not only getting the color of the rocks, but also the texture of the surface of the rocks around. It was incredible!
The afternoon ended with the view of several pink flamingoes feeding in a brackish lagoon, illuminated by the sunset light. Floreana is rich in mysteries and beauty.
