There’s a colony of Magellanic penguins on an island 25 miles north of Punta Arenas within the Straits of Magellan.
For $88 every we obtained a two hour experience out to the island adopted by an hour lengthy stroll among the many birds adopted by a two hour experience again to Punta Arenas.
The Fuegian is a humorous previous tour boat, a automotive ferry lengthy since paid for and pressed into service to move vacationers within the bizarre lengthy cabin alongside the automotive deck. It really works and the seats have been snug.
Neat and tidy powering noisily alongside at 12 miles per hour.
Whereas driving the Straits of Magellan I used to be studying about Ferdinand Magellan struggling to prepare his circumnavigation. It’s story pushed into my library by our go to to the ship museum.
I used to be a paid up passenger and caffeinated with a cappuccino from the onboard snack bar.
On arrival we stepped throughout the rocks like a bunch of penguins ourselves taking brief steps and wavering facet to facet on the rocks.
The reason for all the difficulty greeted us proper there on the seashore.
We obtained a quick speech laying down the foundations. Mainly don’t run don’t shout don’t smoke and don’t, above all don’t contact the penguins. Plus they’ve proper of method on the path. Fairly apparent widespread sensical stuff. Don’t be an asshole.
Then you definitely get an hour to make a circuit as much as the lighthouse and again down the opposite path avoiding penguins as you go. However photographing them and looking at them and questioning what they’re pondering.
The rangers depend you out, then depend you at examine factors and ensure everybody will get aboard on the finish.
So that you stroll, with out screaming, with out utilizing a flash in your digital camera, whereas having fun with a brisk breezy afternoon on the island. Fairly cool.
Each once in a while a hen throws again its head and calls out. Would you imagine they sound like donkeys braying? They do.
What a stunning day to go and see penguins. We have been fortunate with the climate on Friday afternoon.
It’s apparently okay to smear your entrance doorstep with guano in penguin world. There was a slight ammonia whiff within the air nevertheless it wasn’t as dangerous as I had anticipated.
Oh and there are seagulls nesting as nicely.
A day spent watching.