Floreana Island
Our planet has such a vast variety of landscapes, that it is hard to imagine all of them. There are so many variables responsible for a certain area’s shape: the rock underneath, the climate, the latitude, the longitude, the winds, the marine currents, and many others. They all play a role in determining the silhouette of land.
I dream of deserts in the Sahara, and I dream of glaciers in Antarctica, and I dream of lush vegetation in the Brazilian rain forest. I dream of massive granite and endless layers of sandstone. Our planet is so diverse that it would take many lives to see it all, and even longer to learn about it all.
Located at 90o 28’ latitude and 01o 10’ longitude, there is an island. It is an old, collapsed volcano that climbs to approximately 1800 feet high. Many small cones cover its flanks. The northern part of the island looks as bleak as a desert during the dry season (May to December). The southern side receives moisture carried on the trade winds, so it looks green all year round.
This is Floreana, one island in the Galapagos Archipelago. It is a great site to see flamingos, Galapagos flycatchers, black-necked stilts and whimbrels. Today we landed on Floreana, on a greenish olivine beach. We walked half a mile to a white, organic beach where sea turtles are beginning to nest. This is a one of the many marvelous and varied places on earth that I consider a must to visit!
Our planet has such a vast variety of landscapes, that it is hard to imagine all of them. There are so many variables responsible for a certain area’s shape: the rock underneath, the climate, the latitude, the longitude, the winds, the marine currents, and many others. They all play a role in determining the silhouette of land.
I dream of deserts in the Sahara, and I dream of glaciers in Antarctica, and I dream of lush vegetation in the Brazilian rain forest. I dream of massive granite and endless layers of sandstone. Our planet is so diverse that it would take many lives to see it all, and even longer to learn about it all.
Located at 90o 28’ latitude and 01o 10’ longitude, there is an island. It is an old, collapsed volcano that climbs to approximately 1800 feet high. Many small cones cover its flanks. The northern part of the island looks as bleak as a desert during the dry season (May to December). The southern side receives moisture carried on the trade winds, so it looks green all year round.
This is Floreana, one island in the Galapagos Archipelago. It is a great site to see flamingos, Galapagos flycatchers, black-necked stilts and whimbrels. Today we landed on Floreana, on a greenish olivine beach. We walked half a mile to a white, organic beach where sea turtles are beginning to nest. This is a one of the many marvelous and varied places on earth that I consider a must to visit!
