The amazing King Penguins. (All dressed up and no place to go!)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Steve, Don and Nancy with the 4x4.( 7 hours riding in it!!!)
Lady Elizabeth-wrecked and left in the 1800's.
Memorial to the Falkland War in 1982 when Argentina tried to take over the Islands from the United Kingdom. The effort failed.
The governor's house right in the middle of town.
The Argentine Army put 35,ooo land mines in the countryside when they occupied the Islands in the 1982 War and they are still there today.
House in the Falklands. Many have brightly colored roofs.
Sheep that have been sheared in pen.
Rugged topography of land.
Magellanic Penguins who live in holes on the island.
King Penguins are so much fun to watch.
Some of these penguins have babies between their legs.
Don and Nancy among the colony of King Penguins.
Sign about the Penguins.
Our 5 hours in the 4x4 with Steve. Don in front seat. They drive on the opposite side of the road.
Sheep in the countryside.
PORT STANLEY-CAPITAL OF THE FALKLANDS, UNITED KINGDON-WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2011
We arrived in Port Stanley @ 5:00 AM. It is a quiet town of 2,500 people. On the day we were in port, there were 2 other large cruise ships also there and swelled the population of the town by 7,000 people!
The British are entrenched in the area and the capital of the Falklands has been Stanley since 1845.
When the Panama Canal opened in 1915 cargo ships were no longer required to endure the arduous journey around Cape Horn and the importance of the Falklands waned a bit.
Our day was an exciting one as we took a King Penguin Expedition. We went to Volunteer Point which is the home to a colony of King Penguins. Behind Emperor penguins, King penguins are the second-largest species of penguins, typically standing 3 feet tall, and are known to dive up to 350 feet into the ocean in search of fish. We also spotted colonies of gentoo and Magellanic penguins.
In order to get to the penguins we had to go through rugged landscape which can only be traversed in a 4x4 vehicle for 2 and 1/2 hours there AND 2 and 1/2 hours back. We had a VERY capable driver named Steve, who of course is our "new best friend".
The British are entrenched in the area and the capital of the Falklands has been Stanley since 1845.
When the Panama Canal opened in 1915 cargo ships were no longer required to endure the arduous journey around Cape Horn and the importance of the Falklands waned a bit.
Our day was an exciting one as we took a King Penguin Expedition. We went to Volunteer Point which is the home to a colony of King Penguins. Behind Emperor penguins, King penguins are the second-largest species of penguins, typically standing 3 feet tall, and are known to dive up to 350 feet into the ocean in search of fish. We also spotted colonies of gentoo and Magellanic penguins.
In order to get to the penguins we had to go through rugged landscape which can only be traversed in a 4x4 vehicle for 2 and 1/2 hours there AND 2 and 1/2 hours back. We had a VERY capable driver named Steve, who of course is our "new best friend".
LEAVING ANTARCTICA-TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011-A DAY AT SEA.
The Antarctic, as you now know, lies almost totally within the Antarctic Circle, which is found at the 66 degrees south latitude line. Our ship sailed 66 degrees south.
The continent of Antarctica covers a staggering five and one half million square miles and is entirely surrounded by the sea. It is rich with minerals and many believe there are probably rich deposits of ore, even petroleum here. You can understand why several nations eye the Antarctica as a rich natural resource.
Scientists, oceanographers, biologists, environmentalists and specialists studying global warming, that's who calls Antarctica "home". Much of the research is conducted during the summer months and only 1,000 of these brave souls "winter over". They seem to embrace life and they are truly living on the edge, living at the end of the earth.
The continent of Antarctica covers a staggering five and one half million square miles and is entirely surrounded by the sea. It is rich with minerals and many believe there are probably rich deposits of ore, even petroleum here. You can understand why several nations eye the Antarctica as a rich natural resource.
Scientists, oceanographers, biologists, environmentalists and specialists studying global warming, that's who calls Antarctica "home". Much of the research is conducted during the summer months and only 1,000 of these brave souls "winter over". They seem to embrace life and they are truly living on the edge, living at the end of the earth.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
CRUISING ANTARCTICA-ADMIRALTY BAY(INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH STATIONS) AND ELEPHANT ISLAND-MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011
We cruised Admiralty Bay in the morning and were supposed to transit Elephant Island in the afternoon, but the fog prevented this. Elephant Island is at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and is the place where the legendary Sir Ernest Shackleton and his group of men were stranded in 1915.
His ship "The Endurance" was at the forefront of a new Age of Exploration and he is considered to be a hero for his journey and all without a single loss life. He and his crew survived 10 months trapped in the ice over and Antarctic winter, dragged 3 boats, supplies, men and dogs across the ice for 23 weeks and rowed through freezing temperatures for 15 days in search of landfall. Sir Ernest Shackleton was a true legendary hero.
His ship "The Endurance" was at the forefront of a new Age of Exploration and he is considered to be a hero for his journey and all without a single loss life. He and his crew survived 10 months trapped in the ice over and Antarctic winter, dragged 3 boats, supplies, men and dogs across the ice for 23 weeks and rowed through freezing temperatures for 15 days in search of landfall. Sir Ernest Shackleton was a true legendary hero.
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