Carcass & Westpoint Islands, Falklands
The morning was clear and warm as we approached our goal of Carcass Island. There were a lot of Black-browed albatross flying around the ship; could this be a sign of things to come? Soon we were at our anchorage. Right after breakfast we embarked the Zodiacs and headed for shore with wildlife and a long walk in mind. From our landing the Naturalist led hikes across the island to a place called Leopard beach. Along the way we saw a variety of birds, including the Magellanic penguins, which live in burrows in and around the tussock grass. It was also our first glimpse of the striated caracara, a scavenger type hawk/buzzard that lives only on the Falklands and a small area of southern South America. To our surprise, there was not much of a beach with the extreme high tide that we were experiencing this morning. Armed with our rubber boots, we were able to still stroll along the little bit of beach that was left with all this water.
Soon we were ready for the next phase of the landing. A three mile walk to the settlement where we would meet the owners of the island and be treated to an amazing array of baked treats and tea or coffee. A great time was had by all and as we returned to the ship the weather took a turn with rain and cloudy conditions. Luckily, it was short lived. Soon after we finished lunch, a call came from our Expedition Leader, Tom Richie, that hundreds, if not thousands, of black-browed albatross were on the water and flying around the ship. It was an amazing sight! More than a few photos were taken in a short time as we travel through this incredible congregation of birds.
We arrived at our anchorage off of Westpoint Island and started our afternoon landing, this time with a very specific goal in mind, a mixed colony of Rockhopper penguins and Black-browed albatross. After being greeted by the local residents, everyone headed across the island, either walking or getting a ride in a Landrover from our hosts. The weather had turned back to sunny and warm as we approached the colony. It was an amazing sight as we walked through the tussock grass, both penguins and albatross were so close that at times you could almost reach out and touch them. Albatross buzzed over our heads, so close that they nearly touched us with their wings and the rush of air surprised us as we stood watching this amazing scene unfolding before our eyes. Literally, thousands of photos were being taken from all angles, as we jockeyed for position amongst the tussock.
After a little while, Tom announced that he would lead a walk out to Devils Nose, a promontory ridge that sticks out below the colony and above the sea. As we stood there looking down at the sea below, hundreds of albatross flew over and around us, riding the swirling winds.
Time flew by, and soon it was time to head back toward the settlement for more tea and baked goods and some friendly conversation. Then the last guests headed to the jetty and returned to the ship, to have a recap, dinner and lots of “albatross dreams”. What an amazing day!
The morning was clear and warm as we approached our goal of Carcass Island. There were a lot of Black-browed albatross flying around the ship; could this be a sign of things to come? Soon we were at our anchorage. Right after breakfast we embarked the Zodiacs and headed for shore with wildlife and a long walk in mind. From our landing the Naturalist led hikes across the island to a place called Leopard beach. Along the way we saw a variety of birds, including the Magellanic penguins, which live in burrows in and around the tussock grass. It was also our first glimpse of the striated caracara, a scavenger type hawk/buzzard that lives only on the Falklands and a small area of southern South America. To our surprise, there was not much of a beach with the extreme high tide that we were experiencing this morning. Armed with our rubber boots, we were able to still stroll along the little bit of beach that was left with all this water.
Soon we were ready for the next phase of the landing. A three mile walk to the settlement where we would meet the owners of the island and be treated to an amazing array of baked treats and tea or coffee. A great time was had by all and as we returned to the ship the weather took a turn with rain and cloudy conditions. Luckily, it was short lived. Soon after we finished lunch, a call came from our Expedition Leader, Tom Richie, that hundreds, if not thousands, of black-browed albatross were on the water and flying around the ship. It was an amazing sight! More than a few photos were taken in a short time as we travel through this incredible congregation of birds.
We arrived at our anchorage off of Westpoint Island and started our afternoon landing, this time with a very specific goal in mind, a mixed colony of Rockhopper penguins and Black-browed albatross. After being greeted by the local residents, everyone headed across the island, either walking or getting a ride in a Landrover from our hosts. The weather had turned back to sunny and warm as we approached the colony. It was an amazing sight as we walked through the tussock grass, both penguins and albatross were so close that at times you could almost reach out and touch them. Albatross buzzed over our heads, so close that they nearly touched us with their wings and the rush of air surprised us as we stood watching this amazing scene unfolding before our eyes. Literally, thousands of photos were being taken from all angles, as we jockeyed for position amongst the tussock.
After a little while, Tom announced that he would lead a walk out to Devils Nose, a promontory ridge that sticks out below the colony and above the sea. As we stood there looking down at the sea below, hundreds of albatross flew over and around us, riding the swirling winds.
Time flew by, and soon it was time to head back toward the settlement for more tea and baked goods and some friendly conversation. Then the last guests headed to the jetty and returned to the ship, to have a recap, dinner and lots of “albatross dreams”. What an amazing day!
