Floreana Island, 8/21/2022, National Geographic Islander II
Aboard the
National Geographic Islander II
Galápagos
Humans played an important role in the history of Floreana Island. The island was severely impacted when humans introduced many different animals. People left behind the animals, which led to serious harm.
Despite this impact, we still had the privilege to see a lot of native and endemic wildlife. The Galapagos National Park has a mission to continue helping to restore this island.
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with the...
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Today we visited the youngest part of the archipelago, to the west. Early in the morning, we circumnavigated a beautiful geological formation known as Roca Redonda, where thousands of marine birds nest. Then we navigated along the shoreline of Isabela Island; we admired the beauty of the landscapes, with the fog that is characteristic of this time of year hiding Ecuador Volcano behind it. At Punta Vicente Roca, we explored the bay with our Zodiacs and searched for wildlife. We found charismatic sea lions, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and the famous flightless cormorants. In the afternoon we hiked on the youngest island of the archipelago, Fernandina, where thousands of marine iguanas basked under the sun and light rain in big groups. Some of us went on a Zodiac exploration in search of penguins, and we succeeded in finding them in the late afternoon. We ended the day with an al fresco barbecue dinner and local music on board!
The morning started with frigates nesting on the green bushes of North Seymour Island, with their impressive red gular sacs they inflate for mating easily visible. Blue-footed boobies were also seen on the lava rocks along the shore, and many land iguanas were feeding on flowers and salt bushes. This year has seen a lot of rain, and now there is plenty of food for terrestrial creatures. As soon as we arrived at Rabida Island, our younger explorers had fun jumping from the stern of our ship to cool off and play on our inflatable platform. In the afternoon, we went kayaking and snorkeling from the beautiful and unique red beach. We spotted rays, sharks, sea lions, and many schools of different fish. We ended our day strolling along the beach and the brackish lagoon where flamingoes were preening their iridescent pink feathers. What a day we had, full of enjoyment, adventure, and funny moments.
Our first day exploring the Galapagos Islands was amazing, as our guests visited the most central and populated island of the archipelago, Santa Cruz. Our day started with a visit to El Trapiche, an historical site because the owner is one of the first settlers to have arrived in the 1950s. We had the best time learning all about sugarcane products, including moonshine. The adventures never stopped, as we explored a unique lava tunnel and visited Los Gemelos (The Twin Craters) that offered us a breathtaking view of the landscape. Possibly the most memorable excursion of the day was when we arrived at Manzanillo Ranch to look for the symbols of the Galapagos Islands, the giant tortoises. It was a special moment when we got to walk alongside these reptiles.
