Floreana Island
This morning we visited ‘Post Office Bay’. It is a place the whalers used in the seventeenth century to stay in contact with their families using an old traditional mailing system . It took on an average one or two years to get to its destination and it was the only communication between the whalers in the Galapagos and the mainland and Europe. Today that tradition continues with the tourist boats. We can still send letters and postcards from Galapagos to anywhere in the world. The only difference with this postal system is that you don’t need stamps.
After that visit we had the opportunity to snorkel off of Champion Island, where we swam with sea lions and white-tipped reef sharks. It was incredible! So much wildlife in such a small place.
In the afternoon we visited “Point Cormorant” of Floreana Island proper. We disembarked on a beach with green sand! The reason it's green is because it contains many different minerals, including a crystal that comes from the volcanoes called olivine.
Not too far from the beach we visited a lagoon formed of brackish water, and exploring that area we found beautiful birds with pink feathers. They were the greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber). They were walking along the shore of this lagoon looking for food, principally crustacean larvae. There is one type of larva in particular that gives this beautiful pink color to the flamingo, and it’s name is (Artemia salina).
It was a excellent day all round. We all came back on board and enjoyed an earlier dinner with all the kids on board. Nami–ñami (“yum yum”)!!
This morning we visited ‘Post Office Bay’. It is a place the whalers used in the seventeenth century to stay in contact with their families using an old traditional mailing system . It took on an average one or two years to get to its destination and it was the only communication between the whalers in the Galapagos and the mainland and Europe. Today that tradition continues with the tourist boats. We can still send letters and postcards from Galapagos to anywhere in the world. The only difference with this postal system is that you don’t need stamps.
After that visit we had the opportunity to snorkel off of Champion Island, where we swam with sea lions and white-tipped reef sharks. It was incredible! So much wildlife in such a small place.
In the afternoon we visited “Point Cormorant” of Floreana Island proper. We disembarked on a beach with green sand! The reason it's green is because it contains many different minerals, including a crystal that comes from the volcanoes called olivine.
Not too far from the beach we visited a lagoon formed of brackish water, and exploring that area we found beautiful birds with pink feathers. They were the greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber). They were walking along the shore of this lagoon looking for food, principally crustacean larvae. There is one type of larva in particular that gives this beautiful pink color to the flamingo, and it’s name is (Artemia salina).
It was a excellent day all round. We all came back on board and enjoyed an earlier dinner with all the kids on board. Nami–ñami (“yum yum”)!!
