Antarctica Cruise, February 2024

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Gallery (The Falklands and return to Argentina)

Thursday 29th February

Shag Rock

This is a collection of rocky peaks which are like classic volcanic cones which rise from the seabed and stick out above the sea.
We passed these rocky peaks on the way to the Falklands. They are so called because there are large numbers of Blue Eyed Shags nesting on them.
With the wind comong towards you, you can smell this.
On this closer view you can just about make out the thousands of birds as specks on the rocks.
A nice photo of a Black-browed albatross, skimming the surface of the sea.
This is the bird the group of rock pinnacles is named after - the Blue-eyed Shag.
I know very little about maritime birds, but I think Shags have a lot in common with Cormorants.
Another albatross, with darker wings.
Saturday 2nd March

Port Stanley.

Docking at Port Stanley, followed by a 4x4 tour of the battlefields of East Falkland.

Our first stop was to the Argentinian war cemetery near Darwin, near the west coast of East Falkland.
Not all of the country's fallen soldiers were buried here (in what they call the Malvinas), but many were.
I'm here reading some of the names on the plaques in the cemetery.
This is the jetty at Goose Green. We didn't stop there in our particular 4x4 vehicle, so I borrowed this photo.
This memorial marks the spot where Colonel 'H' Jones, commanding the Second Battalion, the Parachute Regiment was killed by Argentine troops.
This is in the Goose Green area.
You can see that the defenders had an advantage, with the British troops fighting their way up a shallow hillside.
Eventually the Paras captured the enemy positions.
A memorial is located near the road for three other soldiers killed in this battle at Goose Green.
This is San Carlos, where Royal Marine Commandos and other troops landed in order to advance east to clear Argentinian forces further to the east.
Because of the sinking of the 'Atlantic Conveyor' with its helicopters on board, the Marines had to go on foot instead.

The landscape in this photo became well known to people watching events unfold on the television - it was the end of 'Bomb Alley', where Argentine A4 Skyhawk jets would scream down over the bay at extremely low level, attempting to bomb the British ships and the troops being landed on the shore.
These graves form part of the British cemetery at San Carlos, looking towards the hills to the east
So peaceful here now, where in 1982 there were Argentine jets attacking and British forces on the ground trying to shoot them down.
This is Mike, who was a 17 year old just after his training in the Royal Marines.
He landed here at San Carlos and was involved with some actions in recce units and in shore defence as a machine gunner.

He was one of the ten Zodiac drivers on the cruise, no doubt the most experienced of all of them!
Two of the wall plaques in memory of sailors killed on the Royal Navy frigates HMS 'Antelope','Ardent' and 'Argonaut' and the destroyer HMS Coventry.
On the way back to Port Stanley we passed this spot, where an Argentine helicopter had been shot down, with its wreckage still visible.
The kind of terrain that infantry skirmishes took place over is exemplified here.
Large fields of bare rocks, littering the landscape and making it difficult to make progress across the ground.
A house reminding me of the Hitchcock Psycho house.
A typical Falkslands type view, where there are few tarmaced roads, sparce population and the landscape is harsh and bleak.
Sunday 3rd March

Port Stanley.

Today we had a morning bus tour of the town, then were dropped off at the museum.

This is the remains of the steel cargo ship the 'Pricess Elizabeth', which remains in the shallow waters of the bay to the east of Port Stanley.
A closer picture of the same ship.
On a road in Port Stanley are the bones of several whales on display. This one is a Fin Whale (I think)!
The skull of an Orca.
This picture needs no further commentary.
The Governor's residence.
The memorial in Port Stanley along the foreshore which celebrates the liberation of the islands in June 1982.
A low relief plaque depicting the battle to liberate the islands.
The cathedral and next to it, the whale bone sculpture near the centre of Port Stanley.
The anchor sculpture outside the museum.
You can tell it was a miserable day, just rain and drizzle most of the day.
After the museum I strolled along the main drag and called into a nice bistro for a coffee and cake.
Afterwards I looked around for a pub which was open for business.
I called in to the 'Victory Bar' for a beer.
I was joined a bit later by Mike (ex-RM) and one of the scientists.

Someone had recommended a visit to the gents' loo in order to view a special exhibit in there.
This is the said exhibit, which needs no explanation, except for the subject, who was called General Galtieri.
Monday 4th March

New Island, The Falklands.

This was our last zodiac trip, landing on the most westerly island in the Falklands archipelago.
It has a cliffside colony of Macaroni penguins, albatrosses and Blue-eyed shags.
After disembarking from the zodiacs we had the opportunity to visit the small museum and buy souvenirs, or to walk the half mile or so muddy path which leads to the cliffs on the western coastline.
It was possible to be almost within touching distance of the birds, and these were not seemingly disturbed by the dozens of people observing and photographing them.

In this image we are landing by zodiacs adjacent to the wreck of a WW2 wooden Canadian minesweeper called 'Protector'.
The Island Sky was anchored about a half mile offshore.
The wreck on the beach. You can see the houses for the small number of residents on the island to the port side of the wreck.
The stone building which houses a small museum. We were able to use our debit cards to buy tea towels and other souvenirs.
A nice shot of the ship anchored in Settlement Harbour, as some of the passengers head back after their trip to see the seabirds.
A Black Browed Albatross, with its chick, probably waiting for a feed.
The albatross chick, getting fatter in its mud nest, while a couple of Blue Eyed Shags stand around.
Some Shags along with chicks in their brown feathers.
There were one or two Karakara birds, raptors and carrion feeders, this one has a green tag on its leg.
More of the Blue Eyed Shags milling about on the rocky cliff top.
There were three or so Macaroni penguins nesting among the flying birds.
An albatross chick stretching its wings.
A penguin looks at an albatross chick on its tall mud-built nest.
Wednesday 6th March

The return to Ushuaia.

We've been sailing south from the Falklands, and now, having sailed west along the Beagle Channel, we dock once again at the Argentinian port of Ushuaia.
The plan for today is to get onto coaches and be driven on a short tour of part of the Patagonia National Park.
Afterwards, the coaches would drive us directly to the airport at Ushuaia for our flight to Buenos Aires.
Most of us will stay overnight at the Hilton, in a posh part of Buenos Aires, before being taken to the airport for our flight to Madrid.

Here we are docked again, with a navy supply ship and another cruise ship behind it. It's raining, not a surprise according to locals.
Part of the harbour, with the city behind it. Shame about the grey weather, but we've had a lot better for most of the cruise.
The tour is under way and we stop here at this lake.
Not much to get excited about, just a lake and some crappy weather.
A post office 'at the bottom of the world' where you can send post cards.
I have seen two post offices much further south, but let's leave it there.
Some of the trees found in Patagonia.
This area probably deserves a longer visit, as a couple of hours driving around in grey drizzle is not Patagonia at its best, I'm sure.
One of the coaches, note the political message about Las Malvinas, which is a recurring theme in the country, but the Argentinian people I found very polite and friendly, no problem with going back there, preferably with a few more words of Spanish in my languages locker.
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