FOR GREAT BRITAIN THE FALKLAND ISLANDS are strategic. For Argentina Islas Malvinas are a matter of Pride. For Oosterdam, it’s all about penguins! Colonies of Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins—even some King Penguins—nest on the islands unconcerned about geopolitics. Penguin tourism is big business.
Stanley's "harbour" is too narrow for large ships
The entrance to Stanley harbor is too narrow for large cruise ships so Oosterdam dropped anchor about two miles from the pier. Despite the captain’s warning last night that it might be a long, rough ride, it was quite smooth. We waited until the ship’s tours had left to line up for a tender ticket and were ashore by 10:30. Stanley had been our first stop on a three-week Antarctic expedition in 2012 and we were quickly bused out to the penguin colonies and saw little of the town. Since then we have seen twelve of the eighteen penguin species and literally hundreds of thousands of individuals. Time for a visit to town.
Christ Church and Blue Whale jawbones
How did they get that here??
There isn’t much there in Stanley. Half of the Falklands 3000 residents are British military stationed far, far from home. There’s a church, Government House, a school, a supermarket and a Falkland War memorial. We wondered how the red double-decker Hop-on, Hop-off bus got here and smiled at the red phone boxes. BT, no doubt. After taking the requisite photo of the blue whale jawbones and Christ Church, we walked into the cold wind along the harbor looking for birds and sea lions.
Falkland Steamer Duck and Chick
Long-tailed Magpie
Gentoo Penguin Colony
There were zillions of cormorants, a Long-tailed Meadowlark, Flightless Steamer Ducks, Falkland Steamer Ducks with chicks and a couple of Crested Ducks. Crew members were waiting back at the dock with hot chocolate, bless their Indonesian hearts. And it was still light enough when we weighed anchor to get distant photos of both Magellanic and Gentoo Penguins along the beach.