worldaltem: Day 38 February 21, 2023 Tuesday Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

Day 38 2/21 Port Stanley, Falkland Island 7-6:00 TENDER Port: Port Stanley

Port Stanley has a 2016 recorded population of 2460. Port Stanley was a major repair stop for ships traveling through the Straits of Magellan. Rough waters and intense storms caused many ships to require repairs in Port Stanley. It also became a base for whaling and sealing.

Tour Length: Half-Day (Approximately 3 hours) We were on site 3 hours. Penguin pictures below, they are molting. Lots of feathers on the ground.

Penguins are not kissing. The young one is looking for the mother to regurgitate food into her mouth for the young one. The mother may not be feeding the young one because she wants it to fend for itself. The bird is looking for any food that falls.

We were tendered to port and left the pier about 9:30. We were told we would need to be at the Cafe at 12:00. When we were all assembled at the cafe, the other passengers were chosen to return to port and we would wait for an hour. I spent my time trying to get pictures of penguins with the waves behind them.

Tour Description

Travel by minibus to remote and unspoiled Bluff Cove Lagoon.

Be greeted by an unforgettable array of wildlife – breeding colonies of Gentoo and King penguins, but not nesting Ruddy-headed geese and skuas, even occasional dolphins and sea lions. We saw Gentoo and King penguins.

Watch the entertaining animal show from the beach or from a table at the cozy Sea Cabbage Café.

Drop into the Bluff Cove Museum to gain insights on the area’s natural history and farming activities.

Spend an hour experiencing this remarkable setting at your own pace before the trip back to Stanley.

Enjoy an adventurous off-road journey to a remote cove where breeding penguins are the main beachgoers. Your journey begins with a drive through Stanley and past battlefields from the 1982 Falkland Conflict. Reaching Bluff Cove farm, travel on to Bluff Cove Lagoon. Waiting for you here are 1,000 (I don't think so) pairs of Gentoo penguins, a growing colony of King penguins with their chicks, and no Magellanic penguins swam over to visit from another island. Walking along the white, sandy beach, watching the penguins dart through the water and amble along the shore, you could see a wide range of seabirds and maybe even spot dolphins in the surf or sea lions lolling at the water’s edge. We did not. You can even watch the wildlife parade from a cozy beach-side café where they serve up warm beverages and home-baked treats. Bluff Cove Museum is also on hand, where you can find out more about the farm and the lagoon menagerie as well as watch live demonstrations of spinning and felting done with local wool. We saw no demonstrations. All told, you’ll have about an hour to revel in this extraordinary wild environment before the return to Stanley.

Gentoo Penguins