Question 1

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Floreana has the longest human history in the Galápagos, from whalers and a lone settler to a penal colony and the strange events of the 1930s. Its settlers and their animals also wiped out some of the island's native wildlife. Fresh water, 1535: The island's old name, Santa María de la Aguada, recalls Fray Tomás de Berlanga, who found water here in 1535 when the archipelago was discovered. Charles Island, 1793: The British captain James Colnett named it Charles Island, a name still sometimes used. Floreana honors Ecuador's first president, Juan José Flores. The whalers' barrel: Its flat ground, fresh water and food made the island a favorite stop for whalers, who kept a barrel at Post Office Bay so that homeward-bound ships could collect and deliver letters. The first settler, 1807 to 1809: Patrick Watkins, an Irishman, lived on the island for two years, farming and trading with whalers. Fire, 1820: A crewman from the whaling ship Essex set the island alight as a prank. The fire burned out of control and may have contributed to the loss of some native species. Ecuador and Darwin, 1832 to 1835: Ecuador annexed the archipelago in 1832 and set up a penal colony at Asilo de la Paz in the highlands. Charles Darwin landed in 1835, when HMS Beagle called. The Galápagos affair, 1929 to 1934: The German doctor Friedrich Ritter and Dore Strauch settled here in 1929, the Wittmer family in 1932, and a self-styled baroness with two companions later that year. By the end of 1934 the baroness and one companion had vanished, the other had been found dead on a distant island and Ritter had died, leaving only the Wittmers. The Wittmers: Rolf Wittmer, born on Floreana, was the first person known to have been born in the Galápagos, and the family's descendants still run a small hotel in Puerto Velasco Ibarra. Lost and returning wildlife: The Floreana giant tortoise died out, and the Floreana mockingbird survives only on two small islets nearby. Tortoises bred to carry much of the extinct tortoise's ancestry have been released on the island as part of a rewilding project.

Question 2

Floreana with Children

Accepted Answer

Floreana works for children who can follow a guide's instructions and keep their distance from wildlife. Each age will find something to remember. Younger children: At Post Office Bay, look through the cards in the barrel for one addressed near your home, and ask your guide how the custom works. School age: Watch for flamingos on the lagoon at Punta Cormorant, though they are not always there, and for sea lions on the beach. Teenagers: Watch the 2013 documentary The Galapagos Affair before the trip and see the island where it happened.

Question 3

Beaches and Snorkeling

Accepted Answer

Floreana's landings are mostly on beaches, and a favorite snorkeling site, Devil's Crown, is offshore. Your guide will say which sites allow swimming. Punta Cormorant: The landing beach has green sand from olivine crystals. A trail leads past a saltwater lagoon, where flamingos feed though not every day, to a beach of very fine white sand where green sea turtles nest. Turtle and flamingo season: Flamingos and green sea turtles nest on the island from December to May. Post Office Bay: The barrel stands behind a white sand beach. Devil's Crown: This sunken volcanic cone off the northeast point has schools of fish, sea turtles, sharks and sea lions. The current can be very strong, so it suits confident swimmers only.

Floreana

Good to know

Landing on Floreana

A Brief History

Floreana with Children

Beaches and Snorkeling

Port crowds

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