Barren and George Islands, Falkland Islands
As David Barnes predicted in yesterday’s dispatch, we did see penguins today. First we saw Gentoos near the beach, followed by Magellanics a bit more inland.
Directly after breakfast we made a beach landing in Worthless Bay, a cove that cuts deeply into Barren Island. Why would anyone travel thousands of miles to visit places with such uninviting names? Worthless Bay is so called because it is very shallow, much too shallow for most ships to enter -- just the type of place that we relish exploring with our Zodiacs. Barren Island is low-lying and subject to the substantial and steady winds that buffet the Falkland archipelago. This inhibits shrubs and other vegetation from attaining much in the way of verticality -- from a distance the island appears barren. Upon closer inspection, it is verdant, covered by lush, recumbent vegetation. Not to mention a great deal of wildlife.
In addition to the penguins, many birds caught our fancy. Among our favorites: the abundant and amusing tussock birds, sifting through the seaweed and inspecting our boots; common snipes parading, uncharacteristically, in open fields; heavy-bodied flightless steamer ducks sitting in pairs, low on the water; southern giant petrel chicks, half covered in down, half into their fledging flying suits, patiently waiting for their parents to return with a meal; and a striated caracara which all but landed on the head of one of our party. Wallows of massive molting southern elephant seals and scattered southern sea lions rounded out the wildlife picture.
Last year, Chris and Lindsey May purchased Barren and George Islands (named for King George IV when the Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, visited in 1833). Their goal is to preserve the natural areas and to restore historic sites. George Island has a long history of sheep farming which the Mays carry on. After Chris displayed his sheep shearing skills on a few of the herd (now in his mid thirties, he says that he can no longer shear 250 to 300 per day, as he did when he was younger), many of us took a walk across the island where we saw, among other things, Peale’s dolphins close to shore. Pat May, Chris’ mother, invited us into their home where she served us tea, coffee, and fresh baked pastries while we chatted, warmed by the peat burning stove, learning about isolated island life.
This was the first ever visit to either island by a cruise ship!
As David Barnes predicted in yesterday’s dispatch, we did see penguins today. First we saw Gentoos near the beach, followed by Magellanics a bit more inland.
Directly after breakfast we made a beach landing in Worthless Bay, a cove that cuts deeply into Barren Island. Why would anyone travel thousands of miles to visit places with such uninviting names? Worthless Bay is so called because it is very shallow, much too shallow for most ships to enter -- just the type of place that we relish exploring with our Zodiacs. Barren Island is low-lying and subject to the substantial and steady winds that buffet the Falkland archipelago. This inhibits shrubs and other vegetation from attaining much in the way of verticality -- from a distance the island appears barren. Upon closer inspection, it is verdant, covered by lush, recumbent vegetation. Not to mention a great deal of wildlife.
In addition to the penguins, many birds caught our fancy. Among our favorites: the abundant and amusing tussock birds, sifting through the seaweed and inspecting our boots; common snipes parading, uncharacteristically, in open fields; heavy-bodied flightless steamer ducks sitting in pairs, low on the water; southern giant petrel chicks, half covered in down, half into their fledging flying suits, patiently waiting for their parents to return with a meal; and a striated caracara which all but landed on the head of one of our party. Wallows of massive molting southern elephant seals and scattered southern sea lions rounded out the wildlife picture.
Last year, Chris and Lindsey May purchased Barren and George Islands (named for King George IV when the Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, visited in 1833). Their goal is to preserve the natural areas and to restore historic sites. George Island has a long history of sheep farming which the Mays carry on. After Chris displayed his sheep shearing skills on a few of the herd (now in his mid thirties, he says that he can no longer shear 250 to 300 per day, as he did when he was younger), many of us took a walk across the island where we saw, among other things, Peale’s dolphins close to shore. Pat May, Chris’ mother, invited us into their home where she served us tea, coffee, and fresh baked pastries while we chatted, warmed by the peat burning stove, learning about isolated island life.
This was the first ever visit to either island by a cruise ship!
