Champion Islet, Floreana
Short answer
Champion Islet is a small rock off the north coast of Floreana. Landing is forbidden. It matters because it is one of only two islets where the Floreana mockingbird survives — the bird that first made Darwin doubt that species were fixed. It is visited by dinghy and snorkelled from the boat.
On this page — 7 sections
It was the mockingbirds, not the finches, that unsettled Darwin: he noticed they differed from island to island. The Floreana one is now extinct on Floreana itself. A few hundred survive on two rocks offshore, and this is one of them.
Champion Islet at a glance
| Island | Off Floreana |
|---|---|
| Landing | Forbidden. No exceptions |
| How you visit | Dinghy ride and snorkelling, from a cruise or day boat |
| Guide | Park-licensed naturalist required |
| Why it matters | One of two homes of the Floreana mockingbird |
| Snorkelling | Steep wall, often with current |
- 1
Champion Islet is a small rock off the north coast of Floreana. Landing is forbidden. It matters because it is one of only two islets where the Floreana mockingbird survives — the bird that first made Darwin doubt that species were fixed. It is visited by dinghy and snorkelled from the boat.
How you get there
- On a southern cruise or Floreana day trip
- Included on some itineraries as a snorkel stop. You never set foot on it.
It sits on Floreana, so how you reach the island decides how you reach this.
What you actually see
The mockingbird, from the water
With binoculars from the dinghy. Nobody lands, so this is as close as anyone gets — and that restriction is why the bird is still alive.
The wall underwater
A steep drop with reef fish, rays, sharks and sea lions. It is a strong snorkel site in its own right.
What is not there
Rats. That is the whole story: introduced rodents took the mockingbird off Floreana itself, and these islets stayed clean.
What goes wrong
We run these trips, so we know what people complain about afterwards. Better to read it here than find out on the day.
- People expect to land
- You cannot, ever. If an operator suggests otherwise, that is a reason to walk away from them.
- The current
- The wall is exposed. This is not a beginner snorkel and it gets cut when conditions turn.
Who this is not for
Saying this costs us bookings and saves the trip. If any of these is you, tell us and we will build the day differently.
- Anyone hoping to walk on the islet. Nobody does.
- Weak swimmers — the snorkelling here has current and no shallow ground.
- Visitors who need to see a bird up close. This one is watched from a boat.
What lives here
- Floreana mockingbird — Survives on two islets and nowhere else on Earth. Seen from the water.
- Galápagos sea lion — Along the wall and in the water with snorkellers.
- White-tipped reef shark — On the deeper sections of the wall.
- Green sea turtle — Common around the islet.
Nearby
Devil’s Crown
Floreana
What it is →Post Office Bay
Floreana
What it is →Punta Cormorant
Floreana
What it is →Asilo de la Paz
Floreana
What it is →Sullivan Bay
Santiago
What it is →Playa Mann
San Cristóbal
What it is →Every visitor site we have written up → · Floreana, the whole island →
Questions people also ask
Why can you not land on Champion Islet?
Because it is one of only two places where the Floreana mockingbird survives, and a single rat carried ashore in a bag would end the species. The landing ban is the conservation measure.
Was it really the mockingbirds that influenced Darwin?
Yes. He noticed they differed between islands and labelled them by island — which he had not bothered to do with the finches. The realisation came later, in London.
Is the snorkelling good?
It is one of the better walls in the south, with current. Not a beginner site.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. If one of them changes and we have not caught up, tell us and we will fix it the same day.
Planning this trip yourself?
Send us the dates and what you actually want to see. A planner in Cuenca reads it and replies within one business day — not a template, and not a bot.
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