Day 2 – At Sea – enroute to Falkland Islands
After setting sail from the port, we headed east toward Falkland Islands, a remote archipelago of hundreds of islands split into east and west. We spent the day at sea chasing wildlife, a pod of Peale’s dolphins were spotted at the bow I completely missed. We were constantly accompanied by southern giant petrels and black browed albatrosses that wheeled around the ship until the last sunsets faded.
Day 3 – Falkland Islands (Islas Mavinas) – depends on who you ask
These islands have been the subject of controversy since the Europeans sighted it in the 17th century. After a hundred years of tug and war, it is now an Overseas British Territory where the UK is responsible for defense and foreign affairs. The first person to land on the island was English Captain John Strong who was on his way to Peru and Chile in 1690. In 1765, John Byron founded Port Egmont on Saunders Island in the western Falklands initially served as an important base for ships sailing around Cape Horn but it was abandoned with a few years later subsequently becoming a stopping point for sealers and whalers.
Saunders Island was the site of our first landing. We walked along the shore where scattered whale bones were dotted with Gentoo Penguins, and we watched a striated caracara feeding on a carcass. Greeting us upon arrival were the island’s owners, Pole-Evans who run a sheep farm and had their Land Rovers parked right on the beach. Their family bought the island in 1987, though they have been managing it since 1948, and they also offer self catering accomodations.
We spent over three hours ambling along the shore, a vibrant contrast between the aquamarine water and the light brown sand. The beach was lively with King Penguins and their chicks watched by Magellanic oystercatchers and snowy sheathbills. We then hiked up the rugged cliff to visit the Rockhopper and Albatross colonies where we could spot the black and white patterns of Commerson’s dolphins in the water below.
Following lunch, we made our way to West Point Island, a key location in the Falkland’s Western Archipelago. It was once called Albatross Island because of its thousands of nesting Black-browed albatrosses and Rockhopper Penguins. From our anchored ship, we walked two kilometers uphill along a dramatic cliff path to the colony known as Devil’s Nose. The island is privately owned by the Napiers whose great grand uncle began the sheep farming business here. Our visit ended with a stop at the farmhouse for tea and homemade cakes before boarding the zodiacs for the return trip.
CRAYSCAPE 
Imagine owning your own island! I would prefer a tropical one, though. 😁
It’s amazing how they manage the island and incoming tourists…