I have only been to Port Stanley once, but it took its place as one of my favourite ports very quickly. Oddly, it isn’t because the town has a great deal to offer, there’s not a lot here except for a vast stretch of windswept waterfront and a few quaint gift shops and a pub; but that’s not the thing I like about it. It feels like home, the water is the same colour (and likely temperature) as the bay across from my house, the sky is the same colour, the same smell is in the air. It resets me that. And then there’s the fact that well, it’s British, so it’s a combination of both of my homes, the temporary and the permanent, in one sleepy little coastal town that is almost impossible to get into.
However, while I love the port because of the air quality and the ready availability of Cornish pasties (mmmm), the island has really got only one main draw: the penguins.
Penguins are everywhere in Port Stanley, in every souvenir shop, in every picture, everywhere. There are even statues of them in the street. This is because they really are everywhere in reality; every species of penguin in existence is found somewhere on the islands.
And I had never seen one.
I’ve even been to Antarctica (although certain people will debate me on that because I have not actually walked on the white continent – is it my fault it’s not allowed anymore??), and I had still never seen a penguin!
Until this afternoon, when I saw hundreds of them.
I finally landed a spot on one of the crew tours; which saw us all loaded into 4×4 land rovers and trundling out through the seemingly endless – and apparently desolate this time of year – island farmlands to one of the many penguin colonies the locals are so proud of (or perhaps they’ve just realized that the birds were there before they were and peaceful coexistence is the best option – may as well be proud of it!).
I have never seen so many birds in one place in my life.
They were nesting, so there was a rope barrier laid out that we were not allowed to cross for fear of disturbing the eggs, but there were hundreds of them, all running and waddling about or protectively huddled over their nests. It baffles me why they nest so far from the water when they have such short legs (and it was an uphill climb to get to the path to the shoreline!), but I assume it’s to protect the young from the seals who would probably look at them as a nice pre-dinner snack.
The windchill factor was brutally cold, so by the time we all loaded back into the land rovers to return to town the warmth was welcome. On the way back we took the opportunity to admire the scenery, but our drive pointed out to be careful exploring it; which was when we noticed the red signs in various fenced off areas : “DANGER: MINES”
They told us that a cow lost a leg to one once…poor thing.
The tender ride had been smooth, the tender ride back to the ship? Not so much. If guests ever wonder why sometimes we don’t make it into the Falklands, the tender ride that’s considered “normal” is more than enough to convince them. Imagine a small rollercoaster and then put it on water; personally I think it’s brilliant, but I’m sure some of the others sharing the tender with me may not have thought so. Since I was sitting in the crew seats next to the door I emerged back to the ship a little damper than anticipated, but hey, a little salt water never hurt me.
Accomplishment unlocked: See penguins.
Bucket list item – checked.