A bit of wind wasn’t going to stop us from getting off the ship and onto Saunders Island for some exploration, birds, and incredible photography. Landing on a white sandy beach with a welcome party of penguins, we set off along the cliffs for a beautiful walk. The cliff was lined with nesting albatross, and we soon reached our final destination. Golden lichen-covered rocks surrounded a huge nesting colony of rockhopper penguins and imperial cormorants. So cool!
11/4/2024
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National Geographic Explorer
Stanley, Falkland Islands
This morning, National Geographic Explorer anchored in Stanley Harbor, the capital of the Falklands. Stanley became a port of refuge for ships which had been damaged rounding Cape Horn. A busy ship repair trade sprung up in the 19th Century and merchants bought the damaged ships which were incapable of repair to use for storage. In the harbor we could see some of those derelict hulls from that era. Later, Stanley was an important coaling station for the Royal Navy and many people remember the 1982 conflict when Stanley was occupied by Argentine forces for ten weeks during the Falklands War. Today, Stanley is home to the majority of the archipelago’s population (3000) and remains a quaint, small town. It was another blustery morning, so after breakfast we donned our rain gear for a wet Zodiac ride to shore. Groups divided into their tour of interest and explored town and the greater surroundings on the Stanley highlights tour, hiking out to Gypsy Cove, or visiting a farm.
