Floreana Island
Daylight broke on the hilly outline of Floreana Island. Although we could see some mist or ‘garua’—as it is more familiarly known here in the Galapagos—the incense trees are still lacking their leafy coverage. The early risers departed in Zodiacs for our disembarkation at the Post Office beach, where we were greeted by six Galápagos penguins (see today’s photo). They were a charming surprise! At the Post Office barrel, the first unofficial postal ‘service’ on this side of the Pacific, we found a more-than-usual amount of postcards, all waiting for someone to deliver them to their final destinations. Could it be because we are close to Christmas time? Perhaps…
During a delightful panga ride at the ‘Loberia,’ or sea lion nursery, we spotted various migratory birds. Among them we saw the wandering tattler, ruddy turnstones and whimbrels. We even saw our friends the Galápagos penguins once again! After returning to the Polaris for breakfast, we prepared for the next morning activities. Snorklers made their way to Champion Island, a satellite of Floreana Island. There the great number of fishes of several species amazed us: yellow-tailed surgeons, parrotfishes, tangs and many more. Many of us even saw snake eels, sharks and rays. However, the creatures that stole the show were the young Galápagos sea lions. They persistently followed and played with the snorklers and showed us various underwater tricks and moves. This is truly the magic of Galápagos at its best!
On the nearby shores of Champion Island, the seabirds were active. Audubon shearwaters, swallow-tailed gulls, and brown noddies were seen in large numbers. Luckily the ‘elusive’ and rare land bird of this island, the Floreana mockingbird, also made an appearance every now and again.
In the afternoon, everyone’s spirit was still high. We disembarked at Punta Cormorant on the north end of Floreana. We took a pleasant walk along a trail that through the dry vegetation. In a hidden lagoon we were surprised by a magnificent view of a group of greater flamingoes. In the distance, along the shore, there were two flamingo chicks. They are doing fine, growing quickly, and looking fluffy and healthy.
Over a rise and further along the trail we came to the ‘flour’ beach. Here we found fresh turtle nests and tracks. Just off shore in the clear waters we could see several sea turtles. These may have been females waiting for dusk to fall to come ashore and nest. The day came to an end, and it was hard to leave such a peaceful island. We returned to the ship in the last rays of the sun. We have to keep on moving as more adventures await us tomorrow.
Daylight broke on the hilly outline of Floreana Island. Although we could see some mist or ‘garua’—as it is more familiarly known here in the Galapagos—the incense trees are still lacking their leafy coverage. The early risers departed in Zodiacs for our disembarkation at the Post Office beach, where we were greeted by six Galápagos penguins (see today’s photo). They were a charming surprise! At the Post Office barrel, the first unofficial postal ‘service’ on this side of the Pacific, we found a more-than-usual amount of postcards, all waiting for someone to deliver them to their final destinations. Could it be because we are close to Christmas time? Perhaps…
During a delightful panga ride at the ‘Loberia,’ or sea lion nursery, we spotted various migratory birds. Among them we saw the wandering tattler, ruddy turnstones and whimbrels. We even saw our friends the Galápagos penguins once again! After returning to the Polaris for breakfast, we prepared for the next morning activities. Snorklers made their way to Champion Island, a satellite of Floreana Island. There the great number of fishes of several species amazed us: yellow-tailed surgeons, parrotfishes, tangs and many more. Many of us even saw snake eels, sharks and rays. However, the creatures that stole the show were the young Galápagos sea lions. They persistently followed and played with the snorklers and showed us various underwater tricks and moves. This is truly the magic of Galápagos at its best!
On the nearby shores of Champion Island, the seabirds were active. Audubon shearwaters, swallow-tailed gulls, and brown noddies were seen in large numbers. Luckily the ‘elusive’ and rare land bird of this island, the Floreana mockingbird, also made an appearance every now and again.
In the afternoon, everyone’s spirit was still high. We disembarked at Punta Cormorant on the north end of Floreana. We took a pleasant walk along a trail that through the dry vegetation. In a hidden lagoon we were surprised by a magnificent view of a group of greater flamingoes. In the distance, along the shore, there were two flamingo chicks. They are doing fine, growing quickly, and looking fluffy and healthy.
Over a rise and further along the trail we came to the ‘flour’ beach. Here we found fresh turtle nests and tracks. Just off shore in the clear waters we could see several sea turtles. These may have been females waiting for dusk to fall to come ashore and nest. The day came to an end, and it was hard to leave such a peaceful island. We returned to the ship in the last rays of the sun. We have to keep on moving as more adventures await us tomorrow.
