Standing Tall At Stanley

We arrived early this morning to Stanley, Falkland Islands. We were escorted into the port by a number of Magellanic Penguins. We hiked out to Gypsy Cove, home to many creatures.

The Magellanic Penguin is a sweet little seabird. This penguin reminded me of a similar species I’ve seen in Peru, the Humboldt Penguin. The Magellanics make burrows for their nests. Most of the chicks have already fledged, so we observed primarily adults that were molting. A penguin can lose up to 40% of its body fat while molting! Once the molting is complete, the penguins head out to sea.

Magellanic Penguins Lying Low



Magellanic Penguins at the Beach



And in the Grass



Happy Feet



We also saw some Peales Dolphins down below, playing in the bay.



This is Juvenile Red-Backed Hawk. It was a very blustery day, and he caught the wind and just hung over my head. Very cool.



Lunch was spent at a local pub, eating pub fare (ale, fish & chips). We walked around the town of Stanley and visited the famous Whalebone Arch, which is made from the jaws of two blue whales (scattered whale parts is a common theme in this part of the world).



As we departed Stanley this evening, we were escorted by at least a dozen different Sei Whales. Pretty spectacular, considering they are an endangered species. It was a brilliant way to end another terrific day.