Saunders Island - penguins and landscape
25-28/10/2006
I spend three nights at "The Neck", where there are colonies of Rockhopper, Gentoo, King (small) and Magellanic penguins, albatrosses, king cormorants, more birds and very beautiful scenery.

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FIGAS Islander aircraft FIGAS Islander aircraft
FIGAS Islander aircraft A FIGAS flight brings me from Sea Lion Island to Saunders Island, via Stanley, for about 1 hour and 40 minutes of total flight time.

 

Cabin at The Neck, Saunders Island Cabin at The Neck, Saunders Island

Cabin at The Neck, Saunders Island

Once on Saunders Island, a still active sheep farm, I'm transported by land rover to "The Neck". The distance is about 10 miles, but takes one hour as most of the driving is off road. At The Neck there is a well furnished cabin with kitcken, two bedrooms, bathroom, hot water, heater and electricity produced by solar panel (through an inverter, it is still possible to get 220V to use a small laptop computer or recharge the batteries). It may happen that you will not see other people from when you are dropped here, until you are not picked up the departure day.

 

King penguins, Saunders Island King penguins, Saunders Island
King penguin chick, Saunders Island On Saunders Island there is a small colony of breeding king penguins, and I was lucky enough to see a juvenile too.

 

King penguins, Falkland islands

 

Magellanic penguin Magellanic penguin
Like on the other islands, there are plenty of magellanic penguins.

 

Rock cormorants
Rock cormorants.

 

Flightless duck

 

Skua, Falkland islands
A group of skuas.

 

 

Gentoo penguins, Saunders islands
Gentoo penguins, Saunders islands
Gentoo penguins, Saunders islands

A very nice beach, with only penguins and no other humans!

 

Gentoo penguins, Saunders islands
Gentoo penguins, Falkland Islands Gentoo penguins, Saunders islands, Falkland islands
Gentoo penguins, Saunders islands, Falkland islands Colonies of gentoo penguins, covering completely small hills.

 

A caracara gets close to gentoo penguins...

 

Caracara

 

Caracara attacking penguins Caracara attacking penguins

...and then tries to attack them.

 

 

 

Gentoo penguin with eggs
A gentoo penguin with two eggs.

 

Saunders island, Falkland islands

 

Saunders island, Falkland islands
Saunders island, Falkland islands
Saunders island, Falkland islands
Saunders island, Falkland islands
Saunders island, Falkland islands Saunders island, Falkland islands
The wonderful landscape of mountains and white beaches.

 

 

 

Sheeps, Falkland Islands Sheeps, Falkland Islands
Sheeps.

 

Vegetation on the Falkland Islands Vegetation on the Falkland Islands
Nice green mosses.

 


 

PICTURES

Perito Moreno glacier

Traveling to Puerto Natales

Flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas via Puerto Montt and bus transfer from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales.

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Torres del Paine, Chile

Torres del Paine national park and Milodon cave

A full day excursion in Torres del Paine national park and Grey lake, starting and ending in Puerto Natales.

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Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina

Perito Moreno glacier

With a 5 hours trip (each way) on partially paved road, it is possible to reach the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina, with a full day trip from Puerto Natales.

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Serrano glacier, Chile

Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers

A full day cruise inside the Ultima Esperanza fjord, reaching the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. Short hike inside the Bernardo O'Higgins national park.

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King cormorant, Falkland islands

Bleaker Island - day 1

After a flight from Punta Arenas to Mount Pleasant and one night in Stanley, the Falkland islands' capital, I take a FIGAS flight to Bleaker Island, to spend three days with penguins and other birds.

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Gentoo penguin, Falkland islands

Bleaker Island - day 2

A full day to explore the island, the Gentoo penguin colony and the beautiful Sandy Bay beach, made of incredibly bright white sand, where I meet even more penguins.

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Rockhopper penguin, Falkland islands

Bleaker Island - day 3

A second visit to the vast Rockhopper penguins and cormorants colony, where I spend most of the day observing these beautiful and funny birds.

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Southern elephant seal, Falkland islands

Sea Lion Island - southern elephant seals

This island is particularly interesting to observe the huge southern elephant seals, but here you will find more Gentoo, Magellanic and Rockhopper penguins, as well as caracara and many other birds.

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Sea Lion Island, Falkland islands

Sea Lion Island - Rockhopper Point

A place of staggering beauty, where vertical walls of rocks, falling straight into the southern ocean, are the home of Rockhopper penguins, king cormorants, rock cormorants and many other birds.

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Gentoo penguin, Sea Lion Island

Sea Lion Island - Gentoo penguins and other birds

Sea Lion Island has also vast colonies of Gentoo and Magellanic penguins, and is not difficult to observe caracaras, southern giant petrels, skuas and other birds.

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Saunders island, Falkland islands

Saunders Island - penguins and landscape

I spend three nights at "The Neck", where there are colonies of Rockhopper, Gentoo, King (small) and Magellanic penguins, albatrosses, king cormorants, more birds and very beautiful scenery.

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Rockhopper penguin, Saunders island

Saunders Island - Rockhopper penguins and albatrosses

Just 10 minutes walk from the cabin, there is a vast colony or Rockhopper penguins, often living together with albatrosses and cormorants.

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Volunteer Point, Falkland islands

Volunteer Point - penguins and landscape

Volunteer Point is located about two and half hours from Stanley, driving on gravel roads as well as off-road. There is wonderful landscape, many penguins and a huge colony of King penguins.

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King penguin and chick, Falkland islands

Volunteer Point - King penguins colony

I spend hours observing the beautiful King penguins, having now many juveniles. This is the most easily accessible colony of the world, as the others are all located on remote sub-antarctic islands.

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King cormorant, New island

Cruise to Falkland Islands - March 2005

Returning from a cruise to Antarctica and South Georgia, I have the opportunity to visit Stanley, as well as Carcass Island and New Island.

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