Post Office Bay and Sting Rays on Floreana Island

Wed.  1/8 - We got to sleep in this morning then we went for a short walk on Post Office Bay on Floreana Island.  While there we stopped at the 'post office' barrel. Started by the whalers late in the 1800's one can place a letter or postcard in the barrel. When the next ship comes by the people check the barreI to see if any mail is addressed to someone near their home and then that person delivers the mail by hand.  So we all addressed a postcard to ourselves or to a friendly family and put it in the barrel. Then other postcards were pulled out of the barrel and the cities called out. If you lived nearby you were asked to deliver that postcard. I got one for someone in St. Louis. When we get home I'll go see my mom and deliver the card. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for someone to deliver my card to me!

We then snorkeled from the beach. After lunch the shipp moved to Champian Inlet where we snorkeled from the panga. It was one of the best spots so far. Ka-jillion fish in blue, blue water!!

Our late afternoon walk at Punta Cormorant took us near flamingos and then to a white sand beach crawling with sea turtles and sting rays!  It was a magical beach visit. 

The lesson for the day concerned natural selection using Darwin's Finches. The research and conclusions were started by Darwin, continued by Lark, finished by Mr & Mrs Grant. The whole goal and mission of the park is to maintain these islands in as original state as when Darwin first visited here. Not always an easy task when rats on ships get on the island or humans kill all the turtles for food or pollute the area with trash or bring in seeds from non-native plants.