West Point and Saunders Island

Land Ho!

Disembarking by Zodiac.

West Point, West Falkland Island

Black Browed Albatross and ...

Rockhopper Penguins

The farm house.

Upland Geese and family. The male is white.

Gentoo Penguins

Gentoo on an egg.

Magellanic Penguins 'holding hands' out of the sea.

and a King Penguin and year old chick.

Sunday, October 27^th.

The three of us got up early to see LAND! After three days of sailing we have reached the islands of West Falklands. We stayed on the deck for a while enjoying the view and then headed off for an early breakfast.

Today is our first day of exploring. It is a beautiful sunny day with calm seas and a light breeze. We were briefed on the PA about the order of disembarkation. We are divided into four penguin groups: Adelie, Chin-Strap, Gentoo and Rockhopper and we will be transported by Zodiac in that order. John and I are in Rockhopper and Bruce in Gentoo. We waited our turn to be called to the mudroom where we kitted up in waterproofs, bog boots, red parka and lifejacket. Loading in the Zodiacs was easy because of the calm waters and we drove to the pier of West Point Island. The pier is in a sheltered bay with beautiful yellow gorse bushes.

We had a half hour gentle hike up and over the peninsula to the other side where we walked through tussock grass to see two colonies of black brow albatross and rockhopper penguins. Amazing to stand about three metres away and watch them. Some were preening, others courting. I watched a male rockhopper taking small gifts of pebbles and mud to the female for nest building. We also witnessed squabbles over territory between penguins, or between albatross and penguins, as they are jammed in quite closely.

After about an hour we walked back to the pier and the small farm house where Alan and Jackie and their golden lab Bossun live. Jackie had prepared a large assortment of delicious baked sweets for us to go along with tea or coffee and we sat outside in the sunshine enjoying them.

Then we relaxed for a bit as the Zodiacs were reloaded one by one and we returned to the ship for lunch. While we were eating the ship set sail for our second West Falkland destination. Bruce and I went up to the top deck in just a fleece as it was very comfortable and sunny. We have been told by the crew that today the weather was exceptional and to illustrate that they told us that two years ago it was so terrible that they were not able to land at all. We saw the endemic little black and white Commerson’s dolphins as the swam rapidly towards our ship and then disappeared under the bow.

We anchored just offshore of Saunders Island, which is another of the coastal islands of West Falkland Island. We were shuttled off the ship again by Zodiac but the water was much rougher and the swells made it a bit tricky getting into the boats. We made a beach landing and had to walk through the shallow water to shore where we immediately saw a few Gentoo penguins and a few gulls and oystercatchers. We hiked to the right of the large Gentoo colony as they were laying on eggs and up and over a small hill to another rockhopper colony on a steep hill overlooking a gorgeous white sand beach. We sat and watched the penguins, cormorants and circling albatross and skua. After a while we walked back down the hill to see the Magellanic penguins and Gentoos on the beach. They were very comical as they walked in single file along the shore. You can almost see the confusion in their behaviour as they approach us. It is almost as if they are saying ‘they weren’t here before’ or ‘are they friendly?’ or ‘how do we get around them?’ It was fun watching them swim in the shallows. Then it was time to head back. That was when I noticed a couple of King penguins with their huge year-old brown chicks which seemed to be wearing a full fur winter coat. I videoed one following its parent and begging for food.

Back at the original landing spot John and I watched the shorebirds and waited for our turn to take a Zodiac back. We were not in a hurry so we were last.

Back on board we had a beer during happy hour while listening to the recap and the briefing about tomorrow’s excursion to East Falkland Island and the town of Stanley and then a debrief about our amazing day.

Dinner was scallops and shrimp, after which we retired to the Polar Bear Bar for a gin and tonic nightcap.

Today was like the first trip to the Galapagos or the Serengeti, just incredible! Four species of penguins in one day: Rockhoppers, Gentoo, Magellanic and King.