Floreana Day Tour

Floreana is the smallest and the least populated of the inhabited islands in the archipelago. It only has around 100 inhabitants, though due to its gruesome history is the most famous of all the islands. Floreana’s first inhabitant was a man named Patrick Watkins who was marooned on the island in 1807. He lived there for two years growing fruit and vegetables to trade with the passing whaler ships, but more famously is known for reading the letters left by the British in a barrel at ‘post office bay’ to be delivered home by returning ships. From those letters he had a good idea of where British whalers were, and set about informing the US ships, and leaving rendezvous invitations, which resulted in the hapless ships being seized. His story goes that he managed to remain drunk for most of his stay, then stole a ship’s boat and set out for Guayaquil accompanied by five slaves. No one knows what happened to the slaves – only Watkins reached the mainland.

Numerous other efforts were made by many people to start colonies on Floreana, but all seemed doomed from the beginning with many murderous tales and mysterious deaths eventuating from their efforts.