Our last day in Tierra del Fuego. The weather looked a little better (ie less snow) so we took a boat trip out into the Beagle Channel. Half of the Channel belongs to Argentina, half to Chile.
Our lovely guide Carla was very bright and bubbly and showed us the lighthouse at the end of the Bridges Islands – named after Thomas Bridges, one of the first European settlers in the area, and his family. We passed a couple of cormorant colonies and also a large group of sea-lions lolling around on the rocks. One huge male sea-lion was getting a bit shirty. Carla told us about the indigenous people, the Yamana. They lived naked on the islands, but always had a fire lit, even in their canoes (wooden canoes!) but were absolutely decimated when the European settlers arrived with new diseases. Sadly, only one pure Yamana lady is still alive, and she is over 90, although there is a small community of mixed Yamanas over in Chile.
Alan has in mind that he wants to take a cruise to Antarctica. I’m not sure that 10 days of monstrous seas and freezing temperatures is my ideal holiday but I can see the attractions of the amazing wildlife and actually stepping onto the Antarctic Peninsula. We’ll need to start saving now…
Bird of the Day…
Is the black-browed albatross. Not as big as the famous wandering albatross but it still has around a 1.5m wingspan. Several flew around the boat and they glide really close to the water, almost dipping their wingtips in.
Our lovely guide Carla was very bright and bubbly and showed us the lighthouse at the end of the Bridges Islands – named after Thomas Bridges, one of the first European settlers in the area, and his family. We passed a couple of cormorant colonies and also a large group of sea-lions lolling around on the rocks. One huge male sea-lion was getting a bit shirty. Carla told us about the indigenous people, the Yamana. They lived naked on the islands, but always had a fire lit, even in their canoes (wooden canoes!) but were absolutely decimated when the European settlers arrived with new diseases. Sadly, only one pure Yamana lady is still alive, and she is over 90, although there is a small community of mixed Yamanas over in Chile.
Alan has in mind that he wants to take a cruise to Antarctica. I’m not sure that 10 days of monstrous seas and freezing temperatures is my ideal holiday but I can see the attractions of the amazing wildlife and actually stepping onto the Antarctic Peninsula. We’ll need to start saving now…
Bird of the Day…
Is the black-browed albatross. Not as big as the famous wandering albatross but it still has around a 1.5m wingspan. Several flew around the boat and they glide really close to the water, almost dipping their wingtips in.
No comments:
Post a Comment