We arrived at Port Stanley, the Falkland Islands, early in the morning. It was a 15-minute tender ride to get to the piers, where my ride awaited. I’ve been complaining about the amount of time it has taken to get to stuff during my cruise. This time I expected it, as I choose to visit the hardest-to-get-to penguin site within range of the ship – Volunteer Point. We had 20 minutes of hard top road, 40 minutes of gravel, and then one hour of cross-country 4×4 as part of a six-vehicle convoy. On the way our driver/guide explained how it was the tour industry and sale of fishing rights that have extended the paved roads around the islands. He proudly exclaimed that by next year one could drive from Stanley to the airport on tarmac.
We arrived at the site, which uses ropes and white stones to indicate the limit of human approach – the penguins didn’t care at all and crossed the boundaries all the time. We tried to stay 5 meters away, and at times had to scramble.
I started at the beach, following a “waddle” (yep, that’s the name. Look it up) of King Penguins. After walking down the sandy slope, they just stood at the edge looking about – sometimes laying down.
While on the beach I found evidence of the penguin’s full life cycle. During the 90-minutes our group was here I found many bones.
I eventually left the beach and stumbled upon families of Magellanic Penguins, who live in underground burrows.
The Falklands are a major sheep raising area, and there were sheep just grazing and wandering about all the penguins. Geese too.
I then approached the main King Penguin rookery. I hope to upload some video next port so you can hear their calls.
There were two young on the outside, in the middle of shedding their down.
From here I visited the Gentoo Penguin neighborhood. This was a major nesting area, and you could smell it.
While there I spotted a ground of King Penguin who decided that where they were was simply not cool enough and needed to cross one of the rope barriers. I hope to get the chance to upload the video of them finding their way down the slope.
Afterwards we had a quick picnic lunch, which included “Penguin” brand cookies. My guide assured me they only use the freshest penguins in its manufacture. <Note: no penguins were harmed in the making of the cookie>
On the way back we paused at the wreckage of an Argentine helicopter from the conflict – was it really 40 years ago? Our guide said only recently were all the minefields cleared.
Here’s a good chance to talk about the landscape we drove thru. There is a northern England moors / lake district feel to the island – hardly a tree to be seen. All low grasslands. The first half was covered with what I can only call scattered gravel, but the stones ranged between the size of a person to my head.
The second half, which was the area we crossed on open ground, was peat bogs and a low bush the locals called “diddle-dee” – which grew a small, red berry. In keeping with Silversea’s “local foods’ objective, that night we were offered a dessert that included diddle-dee berries.
During the drive we passed a carcass of a beached whale. Here local experts are examining it.
The Falklands was great – I’d be glad to return. Turns out we were lucky to be here. Due to high winds cruise ships were not able to anchor during the previous two days and the day after we left. It’s now over two days to get to Buenos Aires and the end of this segment of the cruise.