We are in the last days of our expedition aboard National Geographic Endeavour II. Early in the morning, we made our way to Bartolome’s summit, one of the jewels of this archipelago. Later, guests enjoyed the island’s gold sand beach and snorkeled along the shore. They enjoyed unique moments with many animals, including sea lions and penguins. In the afternoon, we changed locations to Chinese Hat, where we enjoyed another amazing snorkel. We had a great time exploring the shores of the island.
9/16/2024
Read
National Geographic Endeavour II
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.
