New, West Point, and Bense Islands
Our landing program got off to a deliriously sensational start with visits to three fabulous Falkland Islands today. Under sunny skies and windless conditions, we began at New Island, home to two human families and thousands of seabirds. Many of the latter are pictured here: this colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatrosses stretches far along the rugged coastline. The birds’ apparent lack of concern for our inquisitive intrusion made it easy for us to study and photograph their busy lives in these densely packed colonies. The afternoon saw us getting further acquainted with these two species on nearby West Point Island, where most of us took advantage of the wonderfully named “Devil’s Nose” for a truly panoramic perspective of the bird cliffs. After dinner, our sunburned faces were just starting to cool off when we made the first ever expedition-cruise ship landing at Bense Island. At this charming little island we were able to witness the early stages of the ecological restoration project being conducted there by SAFER (SubAntarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research). This U.S.-based non-profit conservation group works to improve the wildlife habitat by eradicating introduced predators, and restoring burnt and over-grazed vegetation. By the time we completed this thorough introduction to the fascinating Falklands, we were hiking by the light of a dazzling moon and looking forward to some well-earned sleep.
Our landing program got off to a deliriously sensational start with visits to three fabulous Falkland Islands today. Under sunny skies and windless conditions, we began at New Island, home to two human families and thousands of seabirds. Many of the latter are pictured here: this colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatrosses stretches far along the rugged coastline. The birds’ apparent lack of concern for our inquisitive intrusion made it easy for us to study and photograph their busy lives in these densely packed colonies. The afternoon saw us getting further acquainted with these two species on nearby West Point Island, where most of us took advantage of the wonderfully named “Devil’s Nose” for a truly panoramic perspective of the bird cliffs. After dinner, our sunburned faces were just starting to cool off when we made the first ever expedition-cruise ship landing at Bense Island. At this charming little island we were able to witness the early stages of the ecological restoration project being conducted there by SAFER (SubAntarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research). This U.S.-based non-profit conservation group works to improve the wildlife habitat by eradicating introduced predators, and restoring burnt and over-grazed vegetation. By the time we completed this thorough introduction to the fascinating Falklands, we were hiking by the light of a dazzling moon and looking forward to some well-earned sleep.
