Floreana & Isabela Islands
Early in the morning we visited the famous post office on Floreana Island. This is a very interesting place within the human history of the Galápagos. At the beginning back in the late seventeen hundreds this was a place where many passing by sea men and whalers laid their hopes expressed in letters and messages. Nowadays we continue with the tradition leaving and taking postcards. Later in the morning our ship anchored close to Champion islet, a very small one offshore Floreana Island. Around the islet our guests practiced water activities. Snorkeling and glass bottom boat outings were both successful.
After a very smooth and enjoyable navigation we landed in the afternoon in the municipal dock of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. This island is the largest one in the Galápagos Archipelago. We visited the tortoise breeding center. In this research area we had the opportunity to see for the fist time this week the Galápagos giant tortoises. We learned about the breeding program and about all the efforts the Galápagos National Park is doing in order to protect and restore the ecosystems of the archipelago. Baby giant tortoises were admired and were favorite subjects of their avid photographers. In the way back we walked on a boardwalk that crosses mangrove forests and a few small brackish water lagoons. Around a lagoon that is located in the heart of the town we were fortunate to observe several Greater flamingos. This was a real treat for our guests. Before coming back onboard our guests spend some time in the town strolling around and being part of the town’s life. The town was particularly colorful today for several activities were organized celebrating carnival. Music, people on the streets and at the beach gave a special atmosphere to our visit today. You can almost feel the joy in the air. It was certainly very interesting to share some of these moments with the local population.
Early in the morning we visited the famous post office on Floreana Island. This is a very interesting place within the human history of the Galápagos. At the beginning back in the late seventeen hundreds this was a place where many passing by sea men and whalers laid their hopes expressed in letters and messages. Nowadays we continue with the tradition leaving and taking postcards. Later in the morning our ship anchored close to Champion islet, a very small one offshore Floreana Island. Around the islet our guests practiced water activities. Snorkeling and glass bottom boat outings were both successful.
After a very smooth and enjoyable navigation we landed in the afternoon in the municipal dock of Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. This island is the largest one in the Galápagos Archipelago. We visited the tortoise breeding center. In this research area we had the opportunity to see for the fist time this week the Galápagos giant tortoises. We learned about the breeding program and about all the efforts the Galápagos National Park is doing in order to protect and restore the ecosystems of the archipelago. Baby giant tortoises were admired and were favorite subjects of their avid photographers. In the way back we walked on a boardwalk that crosses mangrove forests and a few small brackish water lagoons. Around a lagoon that is located in the heart of the town we were fortunate to observe several Greater flamingos. This was a real treat for our guests. Before coming back onboard our guests spend some time in the town strolling around and being part of the town’s life. The town was particularly colorful today for several activities were organized celebrating carnival. Music, people on the streets and at the beach gave a special atmosphere to our visit today. You can almost feel the joy in the air. It was certainly very interesting to share some of these moments with the local population.
