PolarQuest’s guides are blogging from Ocean Nova.
We were all very excited this morning to sight our first land for two days, greeted by a warm sun & clear blue skies! Many of us awoke earlier than necessary, too excited to sleep in, & ventured out on deck with binoculars in hand. Peale’s dolphins welcomed us as we approached Carcass Island, & energetic blue-eyed cormorants ushered us into Dykes Bay, in the avian wonderland that is the Falklands Islands.
After a quick Zodiac trip through kelp beds to a beach landing & briefing on the many possibilities to explore this beautiful bay, we wandered off, cameras at the ready, to discover colonies of nesting Gentoo penguins, delighting in all variety of their springtime romance. Magellanic penguins, Upland geese & tussock birds also attracted our attention, as some of us chose to climb a high ridge & share this lofty domain with majestic Caracara & Red-backed Hawks.
After such an engaging & invigorating morning, we’d built up a healthy appetite & made for the farmhouse of island owners Rob & Lorraine McGill for delicious homemade cakes & hot drinks! It was time to say our grateful goodbyes for the hospitality & head back to our good ship Ocean Nova for lunch, enthralled by our early morning experiences!
Aiming to make the absolute most of such beautiful weather & keen for more wildlife opportunities, we headed out straight after lunch to the exceptionally rich birdlife Mecca of Saunders Island. Thousands of nesting Gentoo penguins, gathered in circular communities of hundreds at a time, had us very aware of the incredible privilege it was to be so close to such a sensitive time in the breeding season on such a scale, & in such a breathtaking panorama of sand dunes, wild ocean views & windswept hilltops.Carefully picking our way toward higher ground, avoiding the many burrows of more private pairs of Magellanic penguins, we came upon an enormous colony of thousands of nesting Rockhopper penguins complete with quirky personalities & hairstyles to match!
Further still around the hillside we were privy to the enchanting valley communities of elegant Black browed albatross, offering nesting, preening, courting & gliding displays that completed an astonishing day of experiences that left us in no doubt that we were among a handful of the luckier people to have visited such a pure & untouched wilderness!
Returning to ship we enjoyed the culinary treats on board & shared stories of all the nuances that made today so extraordinary!
