Overnight we worked our way down the coast for Port Stanley, the largest city and capital of the Falklands. The weather is excellent with blue skies. Hannah, however, warns that the weather can change suddenly and to be prepared. The trip on the zodiac to Stanley’s dock is quite pleasant.
After landing, PL has arranged for a shuttle to take us to Gypsy Cove. The cove has a beautiful sandy beach and sand dunes, not what we expected to see in the Falklands. We enjoyed a nice hike along the coast with views of the cove and Port Stanley. There are Upland Geese perched on their nests everywhere. Large groups of Magellanic Penguins are clustered on the beach and pods of dolphins play in the cove. Very cool stuff. There are also several fortifications left over from the Falklands war. We have an hour to explore before returning to the bus.
On the way back, we pause for a photo opportunity of the Lady Elizabeth wreck in the harbor. There are a couple of Flightless Steamer Ducks hanging out along the water’s edge. They don’t seem at all bothered by our visit. The bus then returns us to Port Stanley.
Port Stanley has a population of around 2600 and is the commercial hub of the Falklands (that’s not saying much) with a number of shops and restaurants. We checked out Christ Cathedral and its pipe organ, both over 150 years old and the whalebone arch out front. The city’s National Museum covers life on the island, its maritime traditions, and the 1982 war with Argentina. Excellent.
All of a sudden, things changed. What a difference in the weather! It is a blustery walk around town. We are told later that the winds were at 50 knots – crazy, almost gale strength. .
We needed to be back on the ship by 3 so we had lunch at ‘Groovy’s’. Yes, it pays tribute to the 60’s. The menu is British-oriented. Mary had the fish and chips, Dick a chicken curry – both are excellent. We have a stop at the Globe Tavern which has the vibe of a traditional small town English pub. Brilliant! No credit cards accepted so there are only a couple of locals there. Dick had the forethought to bring our leftover British pounds from last summer (actually Scottish pounds!), so we’re good to go. They have a local IPA on draft from Falkland Beerworks called the ‘Iron Lady’ after Margaret Thatcher.
Mary was informed that she must buy a stocking cap with a Penguin on it. She found the perfect hat at the tourist office, a Penguin playing golf (ha). Next door is the Falkland Distillery where they sell 2 different kinds of gin. One, from local herbs, the other made with Kelp. We purchased a small bottle of each to help the struggling enterprise (we don’t drink gin but, what the heck).
We loaded up in the last zodiac heading back to the ship. No go though. The sky opened up with torrential rain and the water too wild for transit, so we just sat there and took our medicine. Our zodiac driver, Se, shared some great stories from his travels while we waited. Once things eased, we headed for the ship – very wet! Hannah was right, the weather can change in a second.
After dinner, the Seaventure headed south to the Scotia Sea with South Georgia as our destination. Hannah warns of rough weather overnight and suggests a dose of bonine before bed might be prudent. She hasn’t been wrong yet.
Penguin count: 500 (Magellanic)
Total trip penguin count: 7,500