Port Stanley, Falklands, 1st February 2010

A couple of pictures of the penguins from today’s trip. The top two photos are of Gentoo penguins which are smaller. The lower photo shows two King Penguins who were the only ones there but did not deign to turn around for a proper shot!!

We left the ship around 8 a.m. for quite a long boat ride to Port Stanley. During the boat ride, porpoises played around the bow of the tender delighting the passengers. When we got to the jetty we boarded small minibuses and drove out of town to the west on a partly tarmac and partly gravel road. On the way we passed many areas of minefields which are still active. In some areas, clearing work is under way by a company from Zimbabwe who are using metal detectors and probes in a pain-staking and slow search. Some animals still wander into these areas with awful consequences. The area outside town is mostly moorland with hilly outcrops of rock many of which saw heavy fighting in the 1982 war. The moorland runs down from the road to wide bays.

We stopped after about a half hour’s drive. There we switched to Land Rovers, four of us to each vehicle. I shared my vehicle with a very gutsy lady who was using a walking frame as well as two Canadian Chinese who have traveled in many places and were as intrepid as anyone. We then left the road for the rockingest and rollingest ride of my life. Our driver, a rather stout gentleman called Pete handled the the LR with great skill. Meanwhile he talked a ‘blue streak’ with interesting facts about the Falklands, such things as, a good sheep shearer can shear 350 sheep a day and the record is over 450!! Pete has a small farm with cattle sheep, horses and poultry. His ‘take’ on life in the Falklands was most interesting. It took about 45 minutes of this roller coaster ride from the road to a place by the bay where the penguin colony is situated. We got there and disembarked and there they were, several hundred Gentoo penguins with their young. The young were at the stage of being nearly as big as their parents but with all that woolly down over their feathers which they were in the process of molting. In a few days and weeks they will stop being fed by their parents and then they will have to go down to the sea to hunt for them selves. It is then they will be most vulnerable to the predatory seals. The two King Penguins were still incubating their eggs as they take much longer in their breeding cycle. King Penguins usually live further south but these two had found a much warmer and more comfortable locale for their activities. The day just got better weather-wise and we were very lucky to have sunshine, light winds and relative warmth. Also around the area were other types of birds including Turkey Vultures, Upland Geese and various other kinds of ducks.

After a time photographing the penguins and walking on the beach, we all retired to the Sea Cabbage Cafe where there was barbecued lamb, barbecued Upland Goose, Kingklipp (fish), Sea Bass and other savory delights. Then there was a scone with Diddle Dee jam and cream as well as cakes and cookies and, of course, TEA!! Adjacent to the cafe is the Bluff Cove Museum which is small but contained a lady who was spinning wool and another who played the accordion.

After refreshments and a review of the area, we re-boarded the Land Rovers for Pete’s return drive. It was no less exciting than the drive on the way out. Then back to the minibuses for the return to Port Stanley.

I spent the afternoon wandering around this charming town and visiting the cathedral, Government House and the other sights along the promenade. Then for a pint of beer in the Globe Tavern, some shopping and back to the ship on the tender at about 3.30p.m. after a good day in the Falklands.