Read here some of his notes about his discoveries in the Archipelago. Floreana Island is an island of the Galápagos Islands. Follow a trail to a brackish lagoon, home to Bahama ducks, common stilts, Galapagos flycatchers, yellow warblers and the greater flamingos. Their ancestors come from the Caribbean. The trail continues to a beautiful white-sand beach, one of the most important nesting sites of Green Pacific Sea Turtles. Darwin Island (Spanish: Isla Darwin) is among the smallest in the Galápagos Archipelago with an area of just one square kilometre (0.4 sq mi). The finches include 15 species of passerine birds which were studied by Charles Darwin and helped him derive the ground-breaking theory of natural selection. Post Office Bay provides visitors the opportunity to send post cards home without a stamp via the over 200-year-old post barrel and other travelers. This island witnessed the visit of many sailors, whale hunters and many other adventurers that reached it in search of water, tortoises and even isolation. However, there has been cases where the letter arrives back home before the sender does! … 170515. The closest land mass is that of mainland Ecuador, the country to which they belong, 926 km (500 nmi) to the east. [12][13][14], Isla Floreana is a shield volcano, which has erupted alkaline basalts since 1.5 Ma. We enjoyed seeing the baby turtles and how they are saving them and then the old giant land tortoises too. It was formed by volcanic eruption. A small colony of penguins resides on Floreana and can sometimes be observed as well. Devil´s Crown: Historical place, this island is best known for its endemic plant life: Scalesia villosa, Lecocarpus pinnati dus, and Galapagos milkwort. Visitors sift through the letters and cards in order to deliver them by hand. 1831 was the year when the young Charles Darwin left England in the HMS Beagle to sail around the new world and arrive to a group of islands that were almost virgin at that time. Cormoran Point: Blue-footed boobies in the dinghy ride, flamingos, Darwin’s finches, shorebirds, sea turtles, distinctly colored beaches (olivine and coralline), rays and reef sharks. Galapagos Island Hopping Duration: 4 - 6 days Highlights: Santa Cruz Island, Seymour Island, Bartolomé, Giant Tortoises in the Highlands, Land Iguanas on Seymour Island, Blue Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds, Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz Bay Tours, Charles Darwin Station. Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island) is ranked #10 out of 11 things to do in Galapagos Islands. Moreover, this island is best known for its endemic vegetation: Scalesiavillosa, Leococarpuspinnati dus and the Galapagos millwork. Mostly composed of tephra, these cones are the origin of the A'a lava flows. The islet is impressive for its wide variety of seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, herons, frigate birds, pelicans and the beautiful red-billed tropic birds. Marine Turtles nesting, Sea Lions, and Blue-Footed Boobies are some of the highlights of the visit. Champion Islet, named after the whaler Andrew Champion, is a small islet located just offshore Floreana Island in the southern part of the Archipelago. The islands in Galapagos that were visited by Charles Darwin include San Cristobal, Floreana, Isabela and Santiago (James). Later in 1932, the self-described "Baroness" von Wagner Bosquet arrived with companions, but a series of strange disappearances and deaths (including possible murders) and the departure of Strauch left the Wittmers as the sole remaining inhabitants of the group who had settled there. All rights reserved. The islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 973 km (605 mi) off the west coast of South America. [2] Many years later Thomas Nickerson, who had been a cabin boy on the Essex, returned to Charles Island and found a black wasteland: "neither trees, shrubbery, nor grass have since appeared. Go 2: Galapagos Cruise, Quito & Otavalo Indigenous Market, GO 3: Galapagos Cruise, Quito, Otavalo & Chaski Route, GO 4: Galapagos Cruise & Otavalo Across the Andes to the Coast. Not far inland, a brackish lake home to a variety of migratory and coastal birds, is also ideal for flamingo-watching. Galapagos Island Magic Awaits You. It has an area of 1.1 km2 (0.42 sq mi) and a maximum altitude of 168 metres (551 ft). See pictures and our review of Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island). There are great snorkeling opportunities to see green pacific sea turtles and playful sea lions on main beaches. This island witnessed the visit of many sailors, whale hunters and many other adventurers that reached it in search of water, tortoises and even isolation. The island of Isabela is the largest of Galapagos' islands, with its shape resembling a seahorse. Darwin (Culpepper) Island – This island is named after Charles Darwin. Since the 19th century, whalers kept a wooden barrel at Post Office Bay, so that mail could be picked up and delivered to their destination by ships on their way home, mainly to Europe and the United States. The island has an area of 173 square kilometres (67 sq mi). Villa Escalesia is located in Puerto Ayora and is one of very few private homes available for exclusive hire. Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking biological theory of evolution changed our perception of the world as we know it. Luxury cruises. In 1932 Heinz and Margret Wittmer arrived with their son Harry, and shortly afterwards their son Rolf was born there, the first citizen of the island known to have been born in the Galápagos. We head back to the olivine beach we landed on to swim or snorkel amongst sea turtles, reef fish, sea lions and white-tipped reef sharks (on a good day). We spent a day on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. It is also impressive because of the unique Floreana (Charles) mockingbird, now present only on this islet due to the destruction of its habitat in other Islands by introduced animals. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. It is named in honor of English scientist Charles Darwin.With no dry landing sites, Darwin Island's main attractions are found in the Pacific Ocean, which is teeming with a large variety of marine life. So which island exploration itinerary would you choose today? 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