Today our Galapagos exploration brought us to the mystery island of Floreana. In order to begin our voyage, we had a comfortable wet landing on a remarkable inorganic beach. A pre-breakfast hike gave us the opportunity to explore the wonders of Punta cormorant. At the moment of arrival, the olivine crystals found in the sand got our attention as they were very sparkly in the sunlight. The presence of a brackish water lagoon decorated with a small number of greater flamingos had our attention for several minutes.
Once we started walking on the trail, the landscape was decorated by an astonishing incense tree forest. The sounds of nature were displayed by the different species of land birds that inhabited Punta Cormorant. On the other side of the isthmus, the presence an organic beach made it perfect for a natural color decoration in its landscape.
A large nesting place for sea turtles found at the farthest section of the trail was one of the highlights of the morning exploration. Once we came back to the National Geographic Endeavour, we started navigating to our next destination: Champion Islet. A Zodiac ride to find the Floreana mockingbird was the perfect activity to witness nature’s splendor: Floreana mockingbirds, swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos sea lions, and red billed tropic birds were part of the attractions found in the area.
A deep water snorkeling activity was the cherry on top of the cake for the morning events. The wonders of the Galapagos Marine Reserve were displayed in a combination of reef fish of different species, and playful Galapagos sea lions that were attracted to snorkelers. The color combination of dark lava rocks and invertebrates made us feel like we were inside a marine life magical world.
In the afternoon our exploration brought us to one of the most historical places of the archipelago: Post Office Bay. The visit to the Barrel, combined with a magnificent Zodiac ride along the coast line made it perfect for a delightful visit to Floreana Island. At the end of exploration, the sky was decorated by a charming sunset and left us thankful for the charms of the Galapagos exploration.
