Floreana - Punta Cormorant

Monday, 27 August 2018
Galapagos Day 3

Our pre-breakfast excursion was to Punta Cormoran (although there are no cormorants here).

The landing zone is on what is known as the "green sand" beach from the olivine rocks here. I didn't think the sand particularly green, but more of a brownish-yellow.

On the beach (from left): sea urchin shell, purple coral, unidentified shell (a triton perhaps?)

Blue-footed boobies were nesting here.

The pair of boobies on the right were trying to chase off the booby on the left that was trying to intrude on their space.

A short walk inland from the beach is a brackish lagoon with a resident flock of flamingoes.

Adult flamingoes.

Juvenile flamingoes. They are born with straight bills (easier for adults to feed them). After about three weeks, the bills start growing into their adult shape.

Another juvenile flamingo.

From the lagoon, we walked about 1 km over a small rise to the white sand beach on the other side of the island. The sand was very fine and powdery. We didn't see any sea turtles here, but there were lots of hatchling tracks in the sand, and one adult track.

We were warned to enter the water carefully because a large number of diamond stingrays like to partially bury themselves in the sand here, and will react defensively (i.e. sting!) if stepped upon.

There were a large number of immature Sally Lightfoot crabs here.

Lots of adult crabs were here as well.

We were on the beach an hour or two before low tide. I liked the pattern of seaweed and sand on this exposed rock.