Galapagos Tour - Day 4

Monday, June 2
We arrived just off Puenta Cormorant on Isla Floreana in the morning to a gorgeous sunrise and about a dozen black tipped reef sharks swimming around our stern. After breakfast we went onto the island to explore. We landed on a quiet protected beach that had brown sand with a green and red tint to it. This beach, because it is protected from the waves, gets it sand from the nearby moutains, so it takes on the color of its surroundings. From the beach, we headed inland to a large lagoon that was home to several flamingos. From there, we made our way to the other side of the island where there was a pristine white beach that is known as a popular spot for nesting turtles. The beach itself was littered with small sand balls that come from the resident ghost crabs. As the crabs search for food in the sand, they create these tiny balls and deposit them all around their holes. We also spotted several sting rays in the shallows of the ocean and in the tide pools. We then returned to the beach where we landed and were treated to a show put on by two sea lions pups who were wrestling in the shallows.

After boarding the boat, we made a quick trip to Corona Del Diablo, a formation of rocks just off the coast of Floreana. We snorkeled here for about an hour. It was incredible. We started by snorkeling completely around the rock formations where we spotted a few reef sharks and hundreds of thousands of fish. I then made my way into the middle of the formation where the water average about 3 or 4 meters deep and was several degrees warmer. Here I found 2 more sea lions who played with me for about 10 minutes. I also found several underwater caves that I could swim through that would take me back outside the rock formation. I tried taking pictures with a disposable underwater camera, so I hope they come out. The views going through these caves was remarkable. I was then reluctantly forced out of the water by the boat crew and we made out way back to the boat.

Our next stop was Post Office Bay, also on Floreana. Post Office Bay is aptly named for the "post office" that was established there in the early 1800s. It is actually just a box where mail can be dropped off and it will then be delivered by the next person to arrive on the island who happens to be traveling to the destination spot of the addressed letter. We all rifled through stacks of postcards and I picked up 8 that I will put postage on and mail when I return to the states. Just beyond the "post office" was a small lave tube that we were allowed to investigate.

We then boarded the boat for the final time. Before getting going, I needed a water break and quickly climbed to the boat to do a few flips into the water. We then set sail for Isla Santa Cruz where we would be spending the night on land. It was about a 6.5 hour trip, but the sea was much calmer today and provided for a fairly nice ride. We arrived in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz around 6:30pm and had our last meal onboard. Our group was then ferried onto the land (they actually had us where life vests for the first time in the dingy...must have some regulations in Puerto Ayora) and put up in the Lirio Del Mar hostel. From there we made our way to one of the two bars in the area, Cafe y Limon, where we celebrated our survival of the trip and spent our last night together as the Friendship group.