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| Floreana flamingos in lagoon |
Our second day out, we left the Majestic early to go to a
nearby beach. This was Post Office Bay,
so named because for centuries sailors had stopped at Fioreana Island to get
fresh water and meat, both hard to find in the Galapagos. They set up a barrel just off the beach where
lonesome sailors could send letters home.
Then, the next ship heading back to Europe would pick up the letters and
mail them upon their return to their European country. In this way, a postal service of sorts was
set up in the Galapagos, known to everyone who sailed the Pacific.
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| our guide, Javier at Post Office Bay post office |
Floreana has a lovely lagoon that is home to several dozen
flamingos. While we were there, the
birds were slurping water, siphoning off the tiny shrimp and other small fish
by flapping their lips rapidly and pushing their catch through teeth, much like
whales do when they’re eating fish.
The island is also home to marine iguanas, lava lizards,
selly lightfooted crabs and many birds that come here to reproduce. We saw hundreds of blue-footed boobies—quite
beautiful with their truly blue feet and beaks and white and black bodies.
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| blue footed boobies |
Wave albatross nest on Floreana. We saw a mother feeding her chick who was
frantic for food even though he was almost as large as his mother. He was still too young to fly, but will need
to learn fast because all the adults will be headed out to sea shortly.
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| wave albatross mother feeding frantic baby |
Floreana is one of the few populated islands and has some
very interesting stories connected with it.
In one case, an obstreperous sailor was deposited here by the ship’s
captain because he caused too much trouble.
Word got around so no boats that stopped at Floreana would take the
hapless guy home. Eventually, after 2
years, he stole a sailboat, captured some black sailors to sail it and took off
for home. He survived the trip, but no
one else.
One pregnant woman came ashore to give birth. She lived on Floreana with her daughter and a
second child. Floreana is the name of
her daughter, who stayed on the island and eventually started a tour company
that still owns the Tip Top boats.
Like most of the islands, it is covered with low scrubby
bushes filled with thorns. A great place
for wildlife, but not so for humans.
Today, though, a handful of people live on the island.
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| frigate bird coming in for landing in nest |
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| Floreana bay and beach |
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Selly Light-footed crabs are everywhere
ghost crab scurrying into sand hole |
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