This morning we dropped anchor on a clear, light wind day (which is unusual for Stanley, Falkland Islands...pop. about 2500.) Our tour was to Bluff Cove (a 3-hour ship's tour) to see the large Gentoo Penguin Rookery which also has a few King Penguins nesting among them. We took a tour bus over gravel road which dropped us off to pick up our Range Rovers with guides who would take us overland (BUMPY!!!) to reach the colony of penguins. We had an hour to view the penguins and have tea in a small gift shop there (we skipped the tea and concentrated on photos.) The babies congregated near where the adults would return from the beach with their food...every time an adult appeared, the chicks would swarm around them, hoping it was their parent!
The few King penguins who nested here (about a dozen) had young chicks who were still "under the feathers"...they didn't show their faces for us...too bad. The Gentoo chicks were in various stages of getting their new adult feathers. They'll all be gone in another month or so.
Stanley was a charming small town with plenty of gift shops, a few pubs and restaurants, etc. We grabbed 10 min. of internet for a pound (British), ate fish and chips in a pub, bought some souvenirs here for the grandkids, and returned to the ship (30-minute tender ride.) We couldn't have had a better day here...shirtsleeves, sunscreen, etc. were the order of the day...very unusual for a port which is cancelled due to weather over 50% of the time!
It was disappointing to see so much of their land still being cleared of mines laid in the war with Argentina in 1982...lots of fences with warnings...and people out there today clearing the mines.
Temperature today was in the high 60's...nice to be getting back to warmer weather. Forecast for tomorrow is moderate seas, cloudy, mid-50's...OK for a sea day.
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