Floreana Island, also known as the Mystery Island, was our destination today. We started the day with a pre-breakfast walk at Punta Cormorant. At 6:10 a.m., guests were ready to go. This place has several highlights, including sea turtles, blue-footed boobies, flamingos, and many land birds. We saw them all today!
Our most amazing sighting was the flamingos performing their courtship dance. The flamingos in Galapagos are a subspecies of the American flamingo. There are only about 700 individuals in the entire archipelago, and today we saw at least 60 of them. Flamingos are unmistakable due to their color and size. They obtain their pink coloration from their main source of food, which is the tiny “shrimp” that are colloquially known as sea monkeys. These birds are indeed a favorite of many.
After our visit, we came back on board and enjoyed a great breakfast. Later, we prepared for a Zodiac ride around Champion Islet, followed by snorkeling. Being in the water today was quite a unique experience. We had amazing visibility and were in the company of various species, including colorful fish, sea turtles, sharks, and sea lions.
The afternoon was a thrill as well. We had a delicious Mexican lunch, and a human history talk was given by one of our naturalists. After on-board activities, we visited the post office barrel. This barrel was placed by Captain James Colnet in 1793. At some point, Floreana Island was probably the most visited spot by sailors since it had a permanent water resource and giant tortoises available as food. Giant tortoises can live without food or water for over a year, making them the perfect source of fresh meat for sailors. Besides visiting the barrel, we kayaked and snorkeled from the beach. Today’s outing ended with a beautiful sunset and amazing colors! What a great day we had in Floreana!
