After two very successful landings on New Island and Carcass
Island, our passengers enjoyed a day in Stanley. We were once again lucky with
the weather and only had 10 minutes of rain. Like they say here in the
Falklands, “if you don´t like the weather, just wait a few minutes”.
Passengers were able to hop on free shuttle buses that drove
to the city centre and back every 30 minutes. They were able to enjoy the
landmarks and museums and went for some shopping. Even our crew went on a last
Christmas gift hunt.
Besides the normal landing, our guests were able to join
excursions to experience Stanley and the surrounding areas even further. They
were able to choose amongst the following:
-
The Falkland Nature Walk:
This (approx.) 3 hour walk was a great success. About 20
people joined the excursion that took them on a beautiful nature path through
the stunning landscapes of the nature surrounding Stanley. Peter and Louise
(the local guides) kept telling us this was the perfect moment to do this walk
as the many plants were flowering. We saw at least 5 of the 17 endemic flowers
that call the Falklands Home and got to taste some of the legendary plants like
the Scurvy Grass that is high in Vitamin C and prevented people from getting
scurvy. We also saw the famous Diddle-dee, the Devil Strawberry and the Tea
Berry. The wildlife was very abundant as well. We saw many flightless Steamer
Ducks, Crested Caracaras and Magellanic Penguins in their nesting holes and on
the beach at Gypsy Cove.
-
Stanley Highlight Tour:
The tour allowed participants to see all the highlights
Stanley has to offer and see these extra things you wouldn´t see when you visit
on your own. It was the perfect way to get a good inside view and knowledge of
what this city really has to offer and experience the rich history this place
has.
-
Scenic Air Tour:
Four of the passengers joined a (approx.) 45 minutes flying
excursion over Stanley in a twin engine Britten-Norman Islander aircraft with
war pilots. We were able to get unique views of Stanley and its surrounding
areas and learn a lot about the town. We got a real taste of the mountainous
terrain, wild landscapes and natural coastal beauty. During the flight we got
to see places like Gypsy Cove, Cape Pembroke, the lighthouse, Lady Elizabeth shipwreck, Kidney Cove, Port
Louise, Mount Tumbledown, Longdon, Two sisters and Harriet, Stone Runs, Fitzroy
Farm and Bluff Cove Lagoon.
– Bluff Cove Lagoon:
This beautiful privately-owned farm with a pristine white
wilderness beach is home to over 3000 Gentoo Penguins, and a small growing
colony of King Penguins. We were only able to reach the site by four-wheel
drive vehicles on a very exciting (in a bumpy way) safari! We did this with
small groups of 4 people per car. We
were greeted by the rangers who quickly informed us about the site and took us
to see a very rare Leucistic (partial albino) Gentoo penguin.
After tea/coffee/hot chocolate and over 15 sorts of home-made
cookies and cakes with Diddle Dee, we were ready for the wild ride back to the
ship or the town, depending on the guest's wishes.
–
Bird Watching in Falkland Islands:
This (approx.) 3 hours walk aloud the passengers to witness
the beautiful nature and spot birds with the help of local guides. On this
excursion they got to see the following birds:
- Rufous-chested Dotterel
- Magellanic Snipe
- Blackish Oyster Catcher
- Turkey Vultures
- Upland Goose
- Flightless Steamer Ducks
- Southern Giant Petrel
- Rock Shags (cormorants)
- Ruddy-headed goose
- Long-tailed Meadowlark
- Correndera Pipit
We left Stanley at around 4 PM and got to see a few nice
beaches with penguins on the way out. Once on sea, our ship was surrounded by
many birds like the Wandering Albatross. A great start to our journey towards
South Georgia!
