Floreana and Isabela Islands
We woke-up this morning anchored in front of Post Office Bay, Floreana Island. The mist on the horizon and the cool breeze, gave the island the real aspect of a mysterious one. And indeed, this is considered the Mystery Island. Many people have come in the last two centuries trying to make a living here. But the island won most of the time, and those earlier settlers didn’t stay for too long.
Whalers came here all along the eighteen hundreds, not to settle but to refill their ships with water and tortoises. It was then, during the whaling days, that the barrel was set on Post Office Bay, as a swap mailing system. Today, it is a tradition in the Galápagos to go and visit this place, get in touch with the human history of the island and leave with mail from the barrel, delivering it upon your return home.
The rest of the morning was spent around Champion islet. We enjoyed the glass-bottom boat and a wonderful snorkeling outing, where sea lions stole the show. However, for many of us the highlight was to spot the master of the camouflage: the stone scorpion fish.
To end the day, we landed on Villamil, a tiny and picturesque fishing village in the Galápagos, where there is an important breeding center for the Galápagos giant tortoises. Those who were missing the aerobic exercise had the opportunity to enjoy a long hike. Everyone visited a charming brackish lagoon where we found flamingoes and a few shore birds.
We were all exhausted after such an active and long day, but it was worth it. We visited two beautiful islands of this enchanted archipelago.
We woke-up this morning anchored in front of Post Office Bay, Floreana Island. The mist on the horizon and the cool breeze, gave the island the real aspect of a mysterious one. And indeed, this is considered the Mystery Island. Many people have come in the last two centuries trying to make a living here. But the island won most of the time, and those earlier settlers didn’t stay for too long.
Whalers came here all along the eighteen hundreds, not to settle but to refill their ships with water and tortoises. It was then, during the whaling days, that the barrel was set on Post Office Bay, as a swap mailing system. Today, it is a tradition in the Galápagos to go and visit this place, get in touch with the human history of the island and leave with mail from the barrel, delivering it upon your return home.
The rest of the morning was spent around Champion islet. We enjoyed the glass-bottom boat and a wonderful snorkeling outing, where sea lions stole the show. However, for many of us the highlight was to spot the master of the camouflage: the stone scorpion fish.
To end the day, we landed on Villamil, a tiny and picturesque fishing village in the Galápagos, where there is an important breeding center for the Galápagos giant tortoises. Those who were missing the aerobic exercise had the opportunity to enjoy a long hike. Everyone visited a charming brackish lagoon where we found flamingoes and a few shore birds.
We were all exhausted after such an active and long day, but it was worth it. We visited two beautiful islands of this enchanted archipelago.
