FLOREANA ISLAND
One of the more southernmost islands, Floreana has a rich soil and a water supply. This made the island one of the first to be permanently inhabited, although it was always seen as a place for food (an apparently inexhaustible supply of tortoises) by whalers and other ships.
Inevitably with man in permanent occupation, animals were introduced and as a result, tortoises on the island have become extinct, as have some birds.
Named not after the bird but a US ship, there is a wet landing onto a, literally, green beach - so coloured because it is made from olivine crystals (volcanic silicates of magnesium and iron). Pencil sea urchins may be found on the beach.
A short walk inland and the trail comes to a brackish lagoon. This is home to one of the biggest populations of flamingos in the archipelago. Also present are pintail ducks and stilts. The trail crosses a narrow neck of land and comes to a white beach on the eastern side of the island. Ghost crabs inhabit the beach, and rays and turtles can be seen in the sea.
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A wet landing at a not very scenic location. However, what it lacks for in appearance it makes up for in history.
In the late 18th Century, whaling ships started to leave letters for home in a barrel. The idea was that ships on their outward voyage would leave letters for ships on the homeward voyage to collect. The tradition has continued and it is possible to leave postcards which will be collected by other tourists from the same part of the world and posted by them. In the same way, one is expected to collect any cards that it is possible to post.
The post office barrel is above the beach in an area with palo santo trees and mimosa. Walking through this vegetation one comes to an abandoned site where there was a short lived Norwegian fish drying and canning operation. This lasted for about two years from 1928.
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By special arrangement it is sometimes possible to visit the Wittmer Pension. This belongs to a family which settled on the island in 1932 and have been there ever since. A full story of Floreana and its settlers makes interesting reading.
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