When we were selecting excursions for our ports of call, our first glance at Stanley in the Falkland Islands made us wonder why we would even bother getting off the ship. It really didn't sound all that exciting and/or interesting at first glance. Also, the tours seemed very high priced when compared to the other ports of call. However, Norm said he wanted to see penguins, and this would be our only opportunity. As it turned out, Stanley was a lovely and unique community that we wish we'd had more time to explore.
We are thinking that, until the Falklands War took place in 1982, most of the world did not know this little paradise existed. Then the cruise ship industry decided to use Stanley as a port of call. I must say, it is one of the most unique places that I have ever visited.
These next few shots show a tender returning to the ship, as well as some of the landscape between the ship and the shore.
Although the Falkland Islands are many miles away from England, everything about them is British to the core. Depending which historical account you read, the British have had a presence in the Falklands since 1592. Prior to that date, the Falklands were unpopulated. Over the years, Spain, France, Germany, and, of course, Argentina have all attempted to assert themselves for control of the islands. However, by 1833, Britain had firm control. Other than the brief (3 months) but bloody conflict with Argentina in 1982, British rule has been unbroken. To this day, both the residents of the Falklands and Argentina can become quite passionate when talking about the conflict (as a courtesy to the residents of the Falklands, it was recommended that we not wear any clothing with Argentinean logos).
Geographically, the islands are located 400 miles east of the southeastern tip of South America. They are comprised of more than 740 islands, but the two largest islands are referred to simply as East Falkland and West Falkland. The 2006 Census gives a total population of 2, 478 people. The majority (2,115) live in Stanley, the capital of East Falkland. When the passengers of the Star Princess went ashore, the population of the island doubled!!
The islands are comprised of mostly rock and peat bogs. I know that doesn't sound very appealing, but there is a stark beauty that reminds me of Newfoundland. There are very few trees, and the ones that exist have been transported from Britain. The major industry was once sheep farming, but that has been replaced by fishing, tourism, and agriculture.
This is Christ Church Cathedral. It was consecrated in 1892, and it is "the most southerly Anglican cathedral in the world". The Whalebone Arch sits in front of the church. It is constructed from the jawbones of two blue whales to commemorate the centenary of continuous British administration in the Falklands.
The islands are known for their quick-changing weather. They are located at the same latitude south as London, England is north (51 degrees), and the temperature has never dropped below 12 degrees F. However, calm and sunny days are rare. When the sun does shine, it is intense, and sunburn can occur quickly. The day we were there, we experienced sun, mist, full-blown rain, and then back to sun. Throughout it all, the wind stayed constant. This photo shows the wind turbines. There is certainly plenty of wind, so it would be a pity to waste it! East Falkland hopes to be wind-dependent for their power needs by 2012.
Well....the reason we decided to visit the islands in the first place was to see the penguins. Here we are getting ready to pile into the van that would take us on the first leg of our journey. This would turn out to be a 20-minute ride taking us through the town of Stanley and into the surrounding countryside including some of the Falklands War battlefields.
Many of the most intense battle sites were quite close to Stanley, and unfortunately, some of the remnants of the war remain on the island. This is not the kind of road sign that we see everyday! We were assured, however, that the 117 minefields are very well marked, and there have been no post-war casualties.
Some other friends we saw along the way....
The van dropped us at a rendezvous point where we met our new driver who would take us across the rugged peat bogs in her 4x4 to the Bluff Cove Lagoon. We were interested to learn that on the days when cruise ships come to port, the community of Stanley goes into action. Community members will leave their day jobs to take part in making sure that cruise passengers leave the island with good memories of a day well spent. The man who drove our van turned out to be a police officer on leave for the day (we determined that policing the area is pretty low-key as the guide book states "The Falkland Islands are virtually crime-free"! His biggest job was to keep tabs on the British soldiers at the pubs on the weekends.)
The following picture shows why we needed a 4x4. We were strapped firmly into our seats, and that was a good thing! The ride lasted about 15 minutes and took us over peat bogs that, at first glance, I would have assumed to be impassable. What a ride!!
Here we are at the lagoon....
And here's the main attraction.....
These are Gentoo Penguins. There are about 1,000 breeding pairs on the Falklands. They are about 30 inches tall and weigh about 12 pounds. Most of what you see here are babies. They would have been born in November. They are fed in the nest by both parents for the first 35 days of life. Then they form creches (kind of like a day-care centre) where they come together as a group and wait for their parents to bring them food. After 100 days, they are ready to go to sea.
What you see on the ground here is fluff as the babies moult their brownish-gray baby feathers as they mature into adults.
This is a nice shot of a baby with some fluffy down still attached....
An incredible bonus on the day we visited was to see a group of four King Penguins. They are the second largest penguin species (Empire is the largest). They stand about 36 inches and weigh about 30 pounds. Their life expectancy is 30 years. The Falklands have about 400 breeding pairs of King Penguins; however, they are not always seen in the area we visited. They lay only one egg, and it is incubated on the feet of both parents who take turns to keep the egg warm. Raising a chick takes a full year, so adults only raise chicks once every other year. Seeing all the
penguins was amazing, but seeing the King Penguins was an unexpected surprise and a real highlight of our holiday. The following pictures show four adult penguins....
When we first arrived at the lagoon, a number of things struck us. First of all the sight of all the penguins; secondly, how close we could get to them; thirdly, how horrible they smelled!! You can't tell in this photo, but I am really holding my breath!
The area was fenced off so that we couldn't go right up to the penguins, but as you can see, we could get quite close.....
There were guides available to answer any questions we had. Our first question was "Why does that penguin look like he's dead?" She assured us he wasn't dead but simply resting. We didn't get to see a penguin lay down or get up, which disappointed me. I have visions of them just falling face first, and I can't imagine how they go about getting up!
The following videos will give you a better idea of how the penguins move around. They are adorable!
Walking over the ridge from the original area took us to the ocean shore. The following photo shows what are called "sea cabbages". After the threat of rain, the sun burst through, and we watched in wonder as the penguins frolicked in the water....
I really like this picture. It looks like the penguin is saying to the ocean "Get ready, here I come!" I am thinking if you could see this guy's face, he'd have a big smile!
Another interesting animal we saw on the island was the Belted Galloway cow, affectionately known as "The Belty". We called them "Oreo Cows" for obvious reasons. They come from Scotland.
As I mentioned, Stanley is like a typical English village far, far away from England. In true English fashion, vehicles travel on the left side of the road, and this road sign is very British, indeed!
What DON'T you see in the next two shots?
The answer is . . . cars! There are apparently a couple in Stanley, but virtually everyone owns a 4x4 (Land Rovers seem to be most popular but there were others).
This the "1982 Liberation Memorial" built as a tribute to the British forces and civilians who lost their lives during the conflict. June 14 is "Liberation Day", and it is a public holiday on the Falkland Islands.
We think that these are homes but aren't sure. It is so typically English, and reminded us of Dover, England.
The following are shots of Stanley as we headed back to our ship....
The following are some interesting tidbits of information about life on the Falkland Islands....
The Falkland Islands has its own currency--"The Falkland Islands Pound". We went to the bank to get some. It has the same value as the British pound, but it cannot be exchanged outside the islands.
Just outside of Stanley is an international airport with twice weekly flights to London.
The school calendar follows the British year. Students can attend college in the United Kingdom, followed by university if grades permit. Overseas course fees and living expenses for college and university are covered by the Falkland Islands Government.
Prior to approximately 1995, there was no television on the islands. They now have two channels. Some people have satellite TV, but it is very expensive and limited to South American stations.
There is one local radio station.
The majority of homes are now heated with kerosene, but prior to that, peat was used as fuel.
Almost all products sold in the grocery store (there's only one) come from England.
Every four years, eight Legislative Councilors are elected to oversee the affairs of people on the islands.
The Falklands have a free public health care system, and the government spends approximately 6.4 million pounds per year on health care.
So, that's our port of call to Stanley, Falkland Islands. I would definitely recommend it as a unique holiday destination. They had one of the best visitor guide books I have ever read, and they truly cater to tourists. There was much to explore, and I regretted that we had only one afternoon in port. The guidebook lays out holiday itineraries that cover one day to a few weeks and include visiting many of the other surrounding islands.
Now.....I must see if Norm is finished having fun in the snow so he can get to the next blog entry....
Until next time,
Charlene and Norm
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