29th January – Punta Arenas
This morning we were up at 5.30am for an
early breakfast, ready to muster at 7.00am for an early excursion to see the
Ottway Sound penguins. This was our
final opportunity to see penguins in South America.
After a short trip ashore in the tender, we
boarded our coach to drive up the Magellan Straits before cutting in land
across unmade roads to the Ottway Sound.
En route we spotted a condor, some rhea, some pink flamingos and many
other birds that I am afraid I can’t name.
On arrival at Ottway Sound we got off the
coach and had a mile walk to see the magellanic penguins. Our first sighting of a penguin was that of a
sole penguin scurrying through the scrub from its burrow towards the sea. We then walked a little further and we could
see the whole colony on the beach, which seemed to be happily swimming and playing in the surf, whilst a
crèche of this year’s youngsters huddled together on the shore line not yet ready
to venture into the sea.
After watching them for half an hour in the
really blustery weather, we followed the penguins in shore to see their
burrows, where they fledge their young.
We could get within a matter of feet of penguins sitting in their
burrows under the scrub.
After an hour and a half wandering around
and watching these fascinating creatures we rejoined the coach for our journey
back to town. A really enjoyable
excursion and well worth waiting for.
We wandered around town before returning to
the ship.
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