Today we explored Floreana Island. The island has much to offer in terms of wildlife and today was no exception. We walked among sea turtles, visited a brackish lagoon with flamingos and wanderer birds, and snorkeled with sea lions and a variety of colorful fish. And that was just the morning! During the afternoon the highlight was encountering a group of flamingos chilling on the sand bank while we kayaked. It’s incredible how different species live in complete harmony in this volcanic archipelago where resilience and resistance are the key to survival.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 08 Jan 2024
Floreana Island, 1/8/2024, National Geographic Endeavour II
- Aboard the National Geographic Endeavour II
- Galápagos
Adriana Aguirre, Naturalist
Adriana was born in Guayaquil , the largest city in Ecuador, on the Pacific coast . When she was only a year old, her parents moved to Galapagos where her father captain ed a small bay - tour boat. She returned to the mainland to finish school, but t...
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Exploring Galápagos: One Week Sailing the Islands
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Floreana Island
This is an incredible island with its natural history and a deeply seated human history. Floreana was the choice for many visitors due to its fresh water source and giant tortoises that were used as a food source from the 18th century on. We visited Cormorant Point early in the morning and witnessed Galapagos sea lions playing on the beach and American flamingos in a brackish pond actively feeding. These are two beaches with a drastic contrast of volcanic sand with olivine crystals and an organic white coralline beach. Blue-footed boobies were feeding along the coast and tending to their active nests. Mid-morning allows a snorkel along a satellite island, Champion Islet. Young Galapagos sea lions play with all, and as we finish our dip, a humpback whale with her young calve passes close to our Zodiacs with a breach that leaves us in awe. The afternoon brings us to Post Office Bay and the oldest postal system in the Americas as we all sort through the mail and leave correspondences to be delivered through this honor system. Kayakers explored the coast as the sun peaked through this season’s low-lying clouds.
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National Geographic Endeavour II
Española Island
We had an amazing first full day of exploration on the islands. During the morning, we explored the fantastic underwater world of the Galapagos, and it was amazing. We spent the afternoon on the lookout for the stunning waved albatross. We observed so much unique wildlife as we hiked this impressive island. Today was just the start of our extraordinary adventure in the Galapagos Islands!