Floreana Island
Early this morning we woke up anchored at one of the most historical places of the Galápagos Islands: Post Office Bay. We had a fabulous pre-breakfast hike to the post office barrel, in order to continue the Galápagos postcard tradition. We found postcards from different parts of the world that were left by visitors; we were ready to deliver some and leave some of our own.
After sunrise, it was time to enjoy a delightful breakfast buffet aboard the National Geographic Endeavour, before beginning our search for the elusive Floreana mockingbird. During the Zodiac ride, dozens of birds were flying all over us. One of the most amazing was definitely the red -billed tropicbird. It is such a graceful bird that it could inspire any person to write a poem. Swallow-tailed gulls were next; their beautiful plumage is exquisite.
Our next adventure was to enjoy the fish underwater. The deep-water snorkeling at Champion Islet is one of the most spectacular experiences in the archipelago. Once we were in the water, all these reef fish were swimming here and there, as if they were excited by our presence. Glass-bottom boat outings were also very successful.
In the afternoon, the adventure just got better. All our expectations were focused on the hike to Punta Cormorant, and the attractions of this place amazed us upon arrival. We saw this amazing green sand beach surrounded by a spectacular brackish water lagoon, the habitat for many lagoon birds. During the hike, the magical-looking natural vegetation was the perfect contrast to the landscape of the bay. In the background, the dominant volcanic cones made us feel like we were inside a charming paradise.
On the way back to the ship, we got to see the magical sunset of the Galápagos. This is the paradise that inspired Darwin, and is the paradise that inspires us – this has been another fantastic day in our Galápagos Islands cruise.
