1/4 Stanley to West Falklands – 1 April

Overnight cruising around the Falklands from Stanley over the top of the Falklands to West Falklands.

The morning wake up call at 6.30 has us on plan to arrive at the privately owned Carcass Island. The E Team had to go ashore to talk to the owners about what the options are given pretty ordinary weather.

The ship pulled into the bay and we loaded on zodiacs about 9am. The zodiacs drew up beside their boat ramp come jetty and we were given the option of a walk around the coastline and up over to a beach called Leopard Beach OR start along the coast and climb a hill to walk down again to the same beach where they would bring the life jackets and zodiacs over to meet us. There were Magellan penguins at the end. Along the walk we saw numerous geese, caracaras, some smaller songbirds of varying sorts.

The farm has cattle and sheep, we saw a few cattle and some of the homestead and farm buildings but not much evidence of farming. The bay had lots of kelp and heaps of debris and rubbish washed along the rocky and sandy shores. The beaches were white and the water was light blue despite the overcast skies.

The zodiac ride back to the ship was a very wet one, lots of waves crashing and splashing over the front and over most of us. Very very wet clothing also and especially the legs of ski pants as we had to wade into the waves and get into the zodiacs which the crew had manhandled to come in motor first to pick us up.

Anyway, we had fun and had our gear hanging all over the cabin to dry. We arced the heater and fan up in the hope to dry out prior to our hopefully second landing for the day.

After lunch upstairs at Rockhopper we motored around to Saunders Island through windy, rainy, overcast, and not at all promising conditions. We sailed into a dead end called ‘The Neck’ which was a bit sheltered.

Howard called the situation and indicated a windy, probably wet walk up along a beach, then up over a hill around to the cliffs on the other side, where we should see Rockhopper Penguins and albatross chicks on the nest.

So back into our rather wet gear and into the zodiacs to the beach. The owners were there to meet us on the beach after a rear first zodiac landing at the Neck. The brief was to walk on past the sheep eating kelp on the beach, past the hundreds of gentoos on mounds along the beach, past many Magellanic penguins in burrows and standing around to get to the Rockhoppers.

It was raining, and we were trekking along sheep tracks on the hillside overlooking the beach in rain and wind. I was determined to get to the Rockhoppers which I’ve never seen and had to restrain myself from stopping at the other sites.

It was so exciting to see the Rockhoppers, they are full of personality with their yellow fluffy eyebrows. There were lots moulting. Then I asked what was further up and around to be told there were albatross on their nests. So on and up. More rain. Less wind and thankfully not cold.

There were young Brown Browed albatross sitting on the nests, some learning to fly and one older one up on the grass. Startling to see them perched on the nest and others fluttering around learning to fly.

Beyond that was another colony, with a mix of penguins and albatross and cormorants.

We turned back with some time to stop again at all the spots to get some of the missed photo ops on the way up.

All in all, despite the shocking weather we had a stunning day and we are all stoked to have seen Rockhoppers.

Back to dry our gear again, and have a cuppa etc before time for…

RECAP/PRECAP

Anne – Penguin Post plus Max’s photos will be sent as a photo book.

Edi – Icefish of Antarctica – a nervous Edi doing her presentation. She is Argentinean with a very strong accent and presenting something in English was, no doubt, a challenge. The passengers were all patient and supportive which was actually heartwarming. Over the many days of our expedition people have come to know and care about each other.

Howard –

Tomorrow last opportunity for a landing.

Today was an unlikely landing. Howard on the bridge and captain laughing at the weather with 55 knot winds which should have precluded our visit. David, the owner, indicated 25 knots and not much wind if we can get close enough, so credit to Howard and Artem for getting us landed. The key thing was the team putting on dry suits and getting us in and out.

Tomorrow is going to be windy, but is due to ease.

West Point Island is not far and in a protected spot with a settlement ( house and shed) run be Thiess and Kicki. Lovely couple.

Tussac grass with Albatross, Rockhopper penguins and caracaras.

After the walk there is an invite to look at their house.

Breaky at 7.30 but not in a rush to get out.

The real key to us getting out there today was the willingness of the E Team to don their dry suits and stand in water up to their armpits at times and grab our zodiacs and spin them around and help us all off safely AND then the reverse to get us home to the ship again. We owe them big time!

To top off a magnificent day, we arrived at dinner, only to have Naïf, our head waiter pointing us to the window and told us he had ‘called’ the Commerson’s dolphins to the ship. There were stacks of them swimming and dipping and diving in our wake.