Westpoint Island, New Island
After an excellent day in Stanley, we sailed north of the Falkland archipelago to the wildlife-rich western islands. Dawn found us approaching Westpoint Island, which lies just off the western tip of West Falkland Island. Here we hiked from the sheltered harbor to the exposed cliffs of the western shore, as patches of sun alternated with passing squalls. Despite the sometimes ferocious weather, everyone was thrilled with the sight that awaited us. A mixed colony of thousands of Rockhopper penguins and Black-browed albatross (pictured here) lay before us, sprinkled through the tussock grass and along the cliff-tops.
We’ve now seen eight species of penguin on this voyage. Rockhoppers are closely related to the Macaronis we saw in South Georgia, and like all crested penguins they lay two eggs but usually are able to rear only one chick. The chicks at this colony had fledged and the nesting area was filled with adults undergoing their post-breeding moult. Unfortunately the Rockhopper penguin population in the Falklands has undergone a serious decline in recent decades for reasons that remain somewhat murky, although fishing pressure and rising seawater temperatures both may be contributing factors.
The Falklands are a stronghold of the Black-browed albatross population, with some 80% of the world’s population breeding in the islands. These graceful birds return to the breeding grounds in September and begin egg-laying in early October. The single egg is incubated for about 70 days, and then the chick is reared for up to 17 weeks. The chicks we saw will fledge in about another month. As with Rockhopper penguins, Black-browed albatross populations are experiencing an overall decline, probably attributable in large part to by-catch in the fishing industry. Nevertheless, productivity in this particular colony was very good this year, with perhaps as many as 70% of the nests producing young.
This afternoon we made our final landing before arrival in Ushuaia. New Island, the westernmost of the Falklands, greeted us with sunny skies and a brisk breeze. Ducks and geese fed along the harbor’s shores, Peregrine falcons and Caracaras wheeled overhead, and penguins and albatross crowded the cliff’s edge. This visit completed our theme - super-abundant life in stunningly beautiful places overwhelming our senses.
After an excellent day in Stanley, we sailed north of the Falkland archipelago to the wildlife-rich western islands. Dawn found us approaching Westpoint Island, which lies just off the western tip of West Falkland Island. Here we hiked from the sheltered harbor to the exposed cliffs of the western shore, as patches of sun alternated with passing squalls. Despite the sometimes ferocious weather, everyone was thrilled with the sight that awaited us. A mixed colony of thousands of Rockhopper penguins and Black-browed albatross (pictured here) lay before us, sprinkled through the tussock grass and along the cliff-tops.
We’ve now seen eight species of penguin on this voyage. Rockhoppers are closely related to the Macaronis we saw in South Georgia, and like all crested penguins they lay two eggs but usually are able to rear only one chick. The chicks at this colony had fledged and the nesting area was filled with adults undergoing their post-breeding moult. Unfortunately the Rockhopper penguin population in the Falklands has undergone a serious decline in recent decades for reasons that remain somewhat murky, although fishing pressure and rising seawater temperatures both may be contributing factors.
The Falklands are a stronghold of the Black-browed albatross population, with some 80% of the world’s population breeding in the islands. These graceful birds return to the breeding grounds in September and begin egg-laying in early October. The single egg is incubated for about 70 days, and then the chick is reared for up to 17 weeks. The chicks we saw will fledge in about another month. As with Rockhopper penguins, Black-browed albatross populations are experiencing an overall decline, probably attributable in large part to by-catch in the fishing industry. Nevertheless, productivity in this particular colony was very good this year, with perhaps as many as 70% of the nests producing young.
This afternoon we made our final landing before arrival in Ushuaia. New Island, the westernmost of the Falklands, greeted us with sunny skies and a brisk breeze. Ducks and geese fed along the harbor’s shores, Peregrine falcons and Caracaras wheeled overhead, and penguins and albatross crowded the cliff’s edge. This visit completed our theme - super-abundant life in stunningly beautiful places overwhelming our senses.
