My Travels in Pictures

  • Exploring the World
    • Uganda – the Pearl of Africa
      • Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale
      • Queen Elizabeth National Park & the Kazinga Channel
      • Exploring Queen Elizabeth NP on land
      • Mountain Gorillas – Trek 1 – Habinyanja Family
      • Mountain Gorillas – Trek 2 – Oruzogo Group
      • Mountain Gorillas – Trek 3 – Muyambi Group
    • New York City – a small bite of the big apple
    • Kenya & the Great Migration
      • The Amazing Ololo Safari Lodge
      • Nairobi National Park – a treasure on the edge of the city
      • Sheldrick Nursery & the Giraffe Centre
      • A first glimpse of the amazing Masai Mara
      • A very full day in the Mara
      • A day in (and above) the Mara Triangle
      • Helicopter Day
      • Big cats and the Masai village of Andasikr
      • Saying khwaheri to the Mara and habari to Samburu
      • A very special day in Samburu
      • A photoshoot with Samburu warriors
    • Delhi & the Wildlife of India
      • A Walking Tour of Old Delhi
      • Exploring just a few of Delhi’s many monuments
      • 3 Days in Kazaranga
      • Satpura – in search of Sloth Bears
      • Bandhavgarh – Time for tigers!
    • Myanmar and the Alluring Irrawaddy
      • Day 1 – Yangon’s Circular Railway
      • Day 2 – Touring Yangon
      • Day 3 – On the Irrawaddy River – Bhamo & the 2nd Defile
      • Day 4 – Kyun Daw & Katha
      • Day 5 – Katha & Tigyang
      • Day 6 – Kya Hnyat & Kottet Orphanage
      • Day 7 – Kyauk Myaung
      • Day 8 – Mingun & the U-Bein Bridge
      • Day 9 – Mandalay
      • Day 10 – Sagaing
      • Day 11 – Shwe Pyi Thar & a Puppet Show
      • Day 12 – Magical Bagan
      • Day 13 & 14 – Back in Yangon
      • Heading home – a layover trip to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu
    • Cruising the Adriatic – a trip from Venice to Rome
      • Venice – Part 1 – a city like no other
      • Venice – Part 2 – exploring off the beaten path
      • Venice – Part 3 – On the beaten path
      • Slovenia – Vintgar Gorge, Lake Bled & Koper
      • Croatia – Plitvice Lakes from Zadar
      • Croatia – Dubrovnik
      • Kotor, Montenegro
      • Malta – Valetta & the Three Cities
      • Malta – a road trip to the Blue Grotto & Marsaxlokk
      • Sicily – Taormina & the slopes of Mount Etna
      • Capri, Italy
    • Galapagos Islands – Central & East
      • Quito, Ecuador
      • Tandayapa Cloud Forest – Birds, birds & more birds
      • Galapagos Islands – Baltra & Mosquera Islet
      • Galapagos Islands – Seymour Norte & Plaza Sur
      • Galapagos Islands – Sombrero Chino & Rabida
      • Galapagos Islands – Puerto Egas & Bucanero Cove
      • Galapagos Islands – Caleta Tortuga Negra & Santa Cruz Highlands
      • Plaza Sur (Take 2) & Santa Fe
      • Galapagos – Punta Pitt, La Galapaguera, San Cristobal & NY Eve
    • Victoria Falls, Chobe (Botswana) & Cape Town – an African Photo Safari
      • Victoria Falls
      • Pangolin Better Wildlife Photography Course on the Chobe River
      • EarthArk Mobile Safari – Savuti
      • EarthArk Mobile Safari – Khwai Conservancy – Part 1 of 2
      • EarthArk Mobile Safari – Khwai – Part 2 of 2
      • EarthArk Mobile Safari – The Okavango Delta – Moremi & the Xini Lagoon
      • Capetown – Kirstenbosch & the Bo-Kaap
      • Cape Town – Muizenberg, Kalk Bay & Boulders Beach
      • Cape Town – Betty’s Bay and Stellenbosch
    • Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica
      • A trip to the end of the earth – Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica–Explorers & Kings
      • Ushuaia–Fin del Mundo
      • Ushuaia–Day 2
      • Waiting for my ship to come in…
      • Come sail away…
      • Day #1 & 2 – En route to the Falklands
      • Day #3 – West Point Island & Saunders Island, The Falklands
      • Day # 4 – Stanley–more British than Britain
      • Day # 7 – Right Whale Bay & Salisbury Plain–Kings, kings & more kings
  • Closer to Home
    • Fall Colours 2019
    • Sound of Light 2019 – Greece
    • Sound of Light 2019 – Italy
    • Sound of Light 2019 – Chile
    • Bonnechere Cave & Fourth Chute Falls
    • Fall colours, rapids & waterfalls
    • Casino du Lac Leamy 2016 Fireworks Finale
This post is part of a series called Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica
Show More Posts
  • A trip to the end of the earth – Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica–Explorers & Kings
  • Ushuaia–Fin del Mundo
  • Ushuaia–Day 2
  • Waiting for my ship to come in…
  • Come sail away…
  • Day #1 & 2 – En route to the Falklands
  • Day #3 – West Point Island & Saunders Island, The Falklands
  • Day # 4 – Stanley–more British than Britain
  • Day # 7 – Right Whale Bay & Salisbury Plain–Kings, kings & more kings
  • Day #8 – In the footsteps of Shackleton
  • Day #9 – Elephants & Kings – St. Andrew’s Bay & Gold Harbour
  • Day #10 – Cooper Bay & Drygalski Fjord
  • Day #13 – Elephant Island
  • Day #14 – Setting foot on Antarctica
  • Day #15 – Whales, whales and more whales – a “Tail” of a perfect day
  • Day # 16 – Deception Island & Half Moon Bay
  • Day 19 & 20 – Buenos Aires
  • Antarctica Photo Gallery

Our first landings today – and I didn’t fall out of the Zodiac! The first stop was West Point Island, which lies just off the most north-westerly point of mainland West Falkland and boasts a population of 2 people.  We walked from the “settlement” up the hill and across the island to Devil’s nose, a beautiful spot that is home to a colony of Rockhopper Penguins peacefully coexisting with Black Browed Albatross.

In the picture above, you can see that the Albatross are actually bigger than the penguins.  The Rockhoppers are crested penguins and they are little, averaging 21 1/2 inches in height and weighing only 5-10 lbs.  They do waddle like other penguins, but they also hop, hence their name.  They’re very noisy and absolutely hilarious to watch with their crazy eyebrows and expressive faces.

Looking after the babies…

A Black Browed Albatross with her chick.  Take a look at her eyes and you’ll see that they are appropriately named.  An absolutely beautiful bird.

They are a medium sized albatross; with their 6.5 – 8 foot wingspan they seem to just float on the wind.

It’s a beautiful spot – even without the entertaining penguins and the birds.  Here are a couple of photos of the “settlement”.

Devil’s nose, and the albatross flying around

A few seals, mommy is looking after her baby

Once back on board, we pulled up anchor and headed to Saunders Island.  Saunders Island was site of the first British settlement on the Falkland Islands and is home to a variety of wildlife – 4 species of penguins (Magellanic, Rockhopper, Gentoo & King) as well as 11,000 breeding pairs of black-brown albatross.  We were told to ignore the Kings as there are much more impressive colonies in South Georgia.  For some unknown reason I have no photos of the Magellanics – I guess I was too busy with the Gentoos!

The Gentoos are Brush-Tailed penguins and they build their nests with rocks, which they find laying around or steal from other’s nests.  They are one of the larger penguin species at an average 31” tall and 10 1/4 to 14 1/4 lbs.  They’re very entertaining to watch and will randomly show up in colonies of other penguins.  Here are some Gentoo pictures…

I like to call this one ”Gentoo Salad”

Babies getting fed

I’m going in!

The Skua is a scavenger and predator.  It preys on the penguins and will take their eggs and unprotected chicks.  But they still have cute babies, here is a picture of a Skua with her chick.

Try pots were used in the whaling days to remove and render oil from whales and seals and to extract oil from penguins; this one was abandoned and left to rust away.  It’s a perfect perch for birds of prey such as this striated caracara, a member of the Falcon family that is also known as the “Johnny Rook” in the Falklands.  They’re very inquisitive birds, known to band together and they will make off with anything you leave lying on the ground.

Some gentoos just hangin’

It was a great first day, and no, I’m absolutely not tired of penguins yet!

Related

  • albatross
  • Black Browed Albatross
  • Falklands
  • Gentoo Penguin
  • penguins
  • rockhoppers
  • West Point Island

Related Posts

  • Antarctica Photo Gallery

    April 1, 2018July 21, 2019
  • Day #14 – Setting foot on Antarctica

    January 2, 2017July 16, 2019

Post navigation

  Day #1 & 2 – En route to the Falklands
Day # 4 – Stanley–more British than Britain  

3 thoughts on “Day #3 – West Point Island & Saunders Island, The Falklands”

  • Theressa Smith January 13, 2017 at 5:20 am Reply

    OMG – love them all ?, I want to go there !

  • Terry Sullivan January 13, 2017 at 9:54 am Reply

    Kathy, great pictures, as always.

  • Susan Perkins January 21, 2017 at 8:33 pm Reply

    BEAUTIFUL pictures! The scenery looks similar to the southern part of NZ. Windswept and remote. But the wildlife you’ve seen is AMAZING in comparison!

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Recent Comments

  • Joyce:

    Thanks for sharing your wonder experience and the photos
  • Joyce Benham:

    Thank you and keep those photos coming ...amazing
  • Kathy Preston:

    Thanks Joyce - this trip was with Wild-Eye .
  • Joyce Benham:

    Wow you certainly got a trip of a life time
  • Joyce:

    Wow what a great series of photos of the mountain

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