Black Beach, Isla Floreana, Islas Galapagos, Ecuador 27 Jan seabirds especially in the offshore islands. First tropic birds. weather overcast, some drizzle but no rain. anchored at Black Beach a small settlement (~35 people) which seems to be a center for to which vegetables & fruit grown in the highlands are brought. There is a pension "Pension Wellmei" run by Germans, long time island inhabitants. High cost of living; many staples are brought in by traders & sold at exorbitant prices. old colony; & this island was one of the first colonized. Roughy and rocky small town. few scrubs vegetation. looks overgrazed but we saw only a few burros. Set out 76 tons turtles for rot, roadside along shoreline, rock fence house, & a few look into the scrub. Bird trapping - caught only 6 rot, 1 in a house, 1 along the shore, & the rest near the fences. I saw many (5 or 6) cats at night. The man lives with his they were feral & very responsible for great damage to his chickens. Perhaps this is the reason for the lack of rot. The cats do not keep the geckos down, however we had no trouble yet w/15, mostly from the rocky fences. Tropedus were scarce but Wright got him one. Also saw a free marine iguana. 40 or 50 sea lions on the rocks near town. Few birds in the lowlands. No monkeys.