One Last Chance with the Penguins

Another beautiful day in the Straits of Magellen. For some reason we are starting to think all the rumours of the weather being terrible all the time are somewhat exaggerated. There was light mist this morning and as we took our small boat from the big boat to shore - it began to rain. we were prepared with waterproofs and paid it no mind. We got to shore and stood around like groupies waiting for some rock star for 40 minutes. In fact, we were waiting for our Floridian friends - Joe and Donna - and were all set to go shopping with them. As we stood in the rain we were approached by innumerable taxi and van drivers, tour directors and other and sundry marketers of stuff to tourists. We bravely resisted and also managed to befriend the pier security dog who was sharing our little place somewhat out of the rain - Rex. Dawna will appreciate his taste in dog people! He was very nice, but I digress. We were made an offer we couldn't refuse as a cabbie was willing to take the 4 of us out to the Otway Cove magellanic penguin colony. We took an hour's drive out of Punta Arenas out into the countryside and were treated to marvelous views of a ranch-ruled country - it looked very similar to home - rolling and open. The plant life was different but the colour and feel of it was strangely familiar. We saw herefords (horrors!) out grazing along with Llamas, sheep and even some Rheas (south America's large flightless bird - similar to an emu). There were eagles and vultures and even the odd tourist (though rare). We went out to a beautiful and lonely spot covered in wildflowers and faintly marshy sand hummocks. This is where Magellanics like to nest. they are a burrowing species of penguin and dig nice little burrows in the sand and peer out from under flowering or grassy doorways at the visitors who pass them by. We were treated to views of adults and chicks in and out of burrows as well as at the edge of the ocean playing in the surf. they are quite good aat body surfing and were coming in and out with the waves. The weather, as I said - couldn't be more perfect. The rain had cleared and it was around 20 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a light breeze. As we left the colony EIGHT tour busses drove up and started disgorging their loads. We felt horror for ourselves and the penguins! The whole thing was much more profit driven here than in the Falklands where the numbers of visitors were much more limited. Thankfully, the penguins are well protected despite this by a nice boardwalk that visitors are to stay on and of course, they can always run into the burrows and hide.

We did manage to do a little bit of shopping on the way back to the ship but kept it pretty minor. Donna and I blew our earnings from Origami sales on pretty Lapis rings (lapis lazuli - a blue gem stone is mined locally here in Chile). We then returned to ship for a well earned rest.

We have just weighed anchor as I write this and will be now heading up the West Coast of S. America through fjords and islands enroute to Valparaiso. We are at sea until Monday morning now and then will get on our flight back to civilization and work and friends and dear Rupert and all that.

But - we got to play with more penguins!!

Adios amigos

Dale and Marsha