Our landing on Floreana was at the curiously named Post Office Bay. The reason for the name became apparent just off the beach where we found a heap of flotsam and jetsam surrounding a barrel acting as a postbox. This bay was used for a long time as a suitable point for passing ships to unload and collect any messages for the islands (originally at a point much closer to the shoreline).





The tradition is now maintained by tourists who check the mail to see if they are able to deliver any (by hand only, not putting them in the postal system back home). They then leave their own unstamped cards and letters for any subsequent travellers. When we were there it was strangely short of any English addresses but we left a couple of cards that may turn up in time!




Walking across the island we looked out on a large lagoon which is often used by flamingos. By chance on our day, they chose to be at the very far end of the lagoon, well away from us. However, we did come across a youngster hanging around waiting to be fed.


On the far side of the island we came onto another sandy beach where turtles aften lay their eggs (though none while we were there). Jen was immediately interested in the several small jellyfish that had been washed up on the shore. Our Ozzie friends Crystal and Lynelle called them bluebottles (at first a bit confusing for us because we were looking for big flies). They said that they are common back home and that they can be very painful.

As the water here is shallow and the sandy bottom is soft, it is a favourite spot for stingrays to come inshore, make depressions in the sand and nestle down. Some of our party immediately followed the guide paddling out to look for said stingrays. Jen, having already been stung by a stingray in Cape Tribulation, Australia, remained on the beach watching warily. However, she is not completely negative as later on, when snorkelling in another bay, she was very excited to find a very large ray digging a very large hole in the sandy bottom.