Floreana Island
Today our expedition took us to the island of Floreana. This was the first inhabited island and is the richest in a colorful human history.
Before breakfast we disembarked at the Post Office Bay, the oldest post system in the Pacific. We continued the tradition, leaving our postcards to be hand delivered by future visitors. Of course, some of us also took postcards to deliver when their destination was close to our home. Our morning continued and we had a fabulous snorkeling experience with several species of fish and incredibly playful sea lion pups. We came back just in time to join the birdwatchers for a panga ride and search for the Charles mockingbird, a species endemic to Floreana Island.
In the afternoon, kayakers had the opportunity to paddle along the rocky shore and across a peaceful bay and then they joined the walkers on the unique, greenish olivine sand beach at Punta Cormorant. I find it hard to describe our afternoon on Floreana; this mystery island had a feeling of peaceful secrecy. Low, moist and gray garua clouds hung on the volcanic peaks of the island as we started towards a flamingo lagoon. Dozens of the bright pink birds were feeding and resting not far from us in the shallow brackish lagoon. Our hike took us along a cindery trail to a second beach which is a major sea turtle nesting site. Here we watched soaring frigates, and white tip reef sharks swimming in the surf.
Coming back, contented from a wonderful day on Floreana, Josh gave us a preview of this week’s video and we had a delicious dinner on the sundeck under a nearly full moon.
Today our expedition took us to the island of Floreana. This was the first inhabited island and is the richest in a colorful human history.
Before breakfast we disembarked at the Post Office Bay, the oldest post system in the Pacific. We continued the tradition, leaving our postcards to be hand delivered by future visitors. Of course, some of us also took postcards to deliver when their destination was close to our home. Our morning continued and we had a fabulous snorkeling experience with several species of fish and incredibly playful sea lion pups. We came back just in time to join the birdwatchers for a panga ride and search for the Charles mockingbird, a species endemic to Floreana Island.
In the afternoon, kayakers had the opportunity to paddle along the rocky shore and across a peaceful bay and then they joined the walkers on the unique, greenish olivine sand beach at Punta Cormorant. I find it hard to describe our afternoon on Floreana; this mystery island had a feeling of peaceful secrecy. Low, moist and gray garua clouds hung on the volcanic peaks of the island as we started towards a flamingo lagoon. Dozens of the bright pink birds were feeding and resting not far from us in the shallow brackish lagoon. Our hike took us along a cindery trail to a second beach which is a major sea turtle nesting site. Here we watched soaring frigates, and white tip reef sharks swimming in the surf.
Coming back, contented from a wonderful day on Floreana, Josh gave us a preview of this week’s video and we had a delicious dinner on the sundeck under a nearly full moon.
