December 2013 cruise review with many pictures

[scubacruiserx2]

The last photo in post #123 and the first in post #124 (Imperial Cormorants) clearly show them to be the "eastern" King Cormorant form of this species, with the black area extending relatively far down the side of the face, below the eye level. Also, very nice photos of the Kelp Geese and Rock Cormorants.

 

I am inspired by your photos to want to get back to southern S. America (and the Falklands). However, there are so many other interesting places that we have not previously visited that we also want to see!

 

John

 

Agreed John , we have not seen the Falklands , Antarctica or Fitz Roy so we would love to go there ! On this cruise we received a couple of invites to Moscow and Australia ! So many choices - so little money ! I did a "staycation" trip about 30 minutes away named Wakodahatchee Wetlands .

 

 

http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/birds.htm

 

 

 

Spring is beginning here and I got some good shots !

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Our next stop was Bridges Island . There are no bridges on the island but , rather it is named for a missionary named Thomas Bridges .

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bridges_(Anglican_missionary)

 

 

Our sister boat arrived first and set out for a trek across the island

 

 

 

They were on the high point of the island being circled by an aggressive bird

 

 

 

 

We paused part of the way up the hill for a lesson on the flora and fauna of the island

 

 

 

 

The Cushion plant is found in Alpine regions

 

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushion_plant

 

 

 

Our guide showed us this wild flower and berries

 

 

 

 

While hiking a little further we found this mother bird and her two chicks

 

 

 

 

 

 

And from the summit you can see the other group returning to the boats

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We had reached the summit and the view was breathtaking !! You can see the clarity of the water on the West side of the island

 

 

 

 

 

And a view of the city in the distance

 

 

 

Or of an airplane taking off

 

 

 

 

And finally - a video of the island and the bird , now circling us

 

 

 

 

I thought to myself of how much the tour around the bay reminded me of Gilligan's Island (complete with the skipper and Gilligan) .

 

 

 

It had been a wonderful day with stunning weather! We hoped for continued calm seas and good weather for our passage around Cape Horn early in the next morning .

[J-D]

Our next stop was Bridges Island . ... While hiking a little further we found this mother bird and her two chicks

 

 

 

Scubacruiserx2, very nice photos and videos yet again. The goose in the video within post #127 is an Upland (or Magellan) Goose, Chloephaga picta (in Spanish: Caiquen). The white-headed adult in the video is actually a male -- the adult female has a rusty red head.

 

Though difficult to see clearly, the circling bird in the video within post #128,

 

 

is apparently a skua, most likely a Chilean Skua, Stercorarius chilensis (in Spanish: Salteador chileno). That is the common skua species along the Beagle Channel. If the video is played at 1/4 speed, at time 0.06 sec, white patches are visible at the bases of the primary feathers in the outer wings--characteristic of skuas. Skuas "steal" food from other birds, and take small chicks and eggs from the seabird colonies. They are related to gulls and terns.

 

John

Edited February 14, 2014 by J-D

[scubacruiserx2]

Scubacruiserx2, very nice photos and videos yet again. The goose in the video within post #127 is an Upland (or Magellan) Goose, Chloephaga picta (in Spanish: Caiquen). The white-headed adult in the video is actually a male -- the adult female has a rusty red head.

 

Though difficult to see clearly, the circling bird in the video within post #128,

 

 

is apparently a skua, most likely a Chilean Skua, Stercorarius chilensis (in Spanish: Salteador chileno). That is the common skua species along the Beagle Channel. If the video is played at 1/4 speed, at time 0.06 sec, white patches are visible at the bases of the primary feathers in the outer wings--characteristic of skuas. Skuas "steal" food from other birds, and take small chicks and eggs from the seabird colonies. They are related to gulls and terns.

 

John

 

Thanks J-D for the accurate information . As our resident Ornithologist you are always Johnny-on-the-spot !!

 

 

Here is a local bird related to the Cormorant called the Anhinga .

This male has his "mating mask" on with the color around the eyes.

 

 

 

 

A female on the nest with one chick

 

 

 

 

 

 

A male feeding his chick

 

 

 

A small video clip of feeding

 

 

 

And a very informative 4 minute video on this interesting bird

 

 

[J-D]

 

Here is a local bird related to the Cormorant called the Anhinga .

This male has his "mating mask" on with the color around the eyes.

...

A small video clip of feeding

 

 

And a very informative 4 minute video on this interesting bird

 

 

Nice Anhinga pictures. According to my notes, I first saw it in Dec. 1957 as a child when our family made our first trip to the FL Everglades. That species occurs all the way from the SE U.S.A. southeast to (approx.) Buenos Aires. There is only one other species in the Anhingidae (darter) family; it looks very similar and occurs in Africa, south Asia, and Australia.

 

John

[scubacruiserx2]

The evening's today ON LOCATION had forecast scattered showers and a high temperature of 46 F.

 

 

Cape Horn has long been known as a very hazardous passage with strong currents and winds , large waves and icebergs . It has claimed many lives during its storied history.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Horn

 

So it was with much respect that we approached this day. The commentary began at 6am so we were up early to yet another gray day. Fortunately the sea was calm and we could see the islands in the distance.

 

 

 

 

As we drew close , some of the dramatic cliffs came into view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued to circle the island slowly

 

 

 

 

Until we finally passed the Chilean Naval base

 

 

 

And thus , the passage was completed not with a bang but a whimper.

 

 

video clip

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

To all our readers:

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From scubacruiserx2

[Floridiana]

What a cute Valentine's Day picture. Thank you very much. :D

[scubacruiserx2]

What a cute Valentine's Day picture. Thank you very much. :D

 

You're welcome Floridiana ! The Magellan penguins are too cute for words !

Edited February 15, 2014 by scubacruiserx2
Mispelled word

[scubacruiserx2]

After sailing around Cape Horn, it was getting warmer because we were heading North towards Puerto Madryn. The night before our arrival in port, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

We booked a private tour to Punta Tombo to see the Penguins. It was scheduled to be 70F.

 

 

 

Early the next morning , we were greeted by a spectacular sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

Soon we had arrived at Puerto Madryn.

 

 

 

 

 

Our tour was scheduled to meet at 7:00am, so we scurried off the ship to meet our guide. Most of the couples were there within a few minutes. At 7:30 am we were still missing 1 couple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone realized that the missing couple thought the tour began at 8:00, and ran to get them. Finally we were on our way by 7:45. :(

[scubacruiserx2]

Punta Tombo is the world's largest colony of the Magellan penguin. Because it was Spring we had hope of seeing chicks. It is is a 2-1/2 hour ride and the geography is the pampas that is typical of that region

 

 

 

 

We made one bathroom stop at a gas station and discovered that our van had caught the tour buses already there. So our next stop was penguins !! We were instructed to stay on the marked path and boardwalks - and that the penguins have the right of way .

 

 

 

 

 

Many of the penguins were basking in the warm sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the penguins were not alone. I'm not sure who had the right of way here , but I'm betting on the guanaco !

 

 

 

 

 

Penguin burrow

 

 

 

An article on the Magellan Penguin

 

 

 

http://www.penguins.cl/magellanic-penguins.htm

[Floridiana]

It looks exactly like it did when we were there, but we did not go to see the penguins.

[scubacruiserx2]

It looks exactly like it did when we were there, but we did not go to see the penguins.

 

What did you go to see :confused:

[scubacruiserx2]

It was so much fun to watch the penguins engaged in their everyday activities:

 

 

Posing

 

 

 

 

Sunning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allopreening

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming

 

 

 

 

 

Sleeping

 

 

 

 

 

And walking

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

To access the viewing area , you must first walk across a small hill

 

 

 

 

The penguin's entrance to the beach

 

 

 

 

 

There is an elevated area to view the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another elevated area at the end where you can view a cove

 

 

 

 

 

And watch the penguins frolic

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The colony of Magellan penguin is the largest in the world of that species numbering 650,000 . They spent 6 months of the year here during the breeding cycle . After molting they migrate up to 2,000 miles North for the winter.

 

 

 

 

Most of the chicks were still in the nests but we found a few older ones

outside

 

 

 

This chick seemed to be well nourished

 

 

 

 

We also found some small rodents

 

 

[welshaussie]

Have just found this review - and LOVING it.

We are booked on Zaandan for next Christmas/New Year and 50th wedding anniversary, and so far identical cruise. But from Ushuaia we go Antarctica - Stanley - etc - and have added trip BA-Iguazu-Rio to finish up. Cannot wait! Have learned so much from this thread - a big thank you from sunny Sydney.

Couple of questions - what happened about passports taken at Valparaiso, was waiting for details with bated breath! (I always dread letting them out of my sight) And for these ports first-timers, any must-see tours, or get off and look around?

[scubacruiserx2]

Have just found this review - and LOVING it.

We are booked on Zaandan for next Christmas/New Year and 50th wedding anniversary, and so far identical cruise. But from Ushuaia we go Antarctica - Stanley - etc - and have added trip BA-Iguazu-Rio to finish up. Cannot wait! Have learned so much from this thread - a big thank you from sunny Sydney.

Couple of questions - what happened about passports taken at Valparaiso, was waiting for details with bated breath! (I always dread letting them out of my sight) And for these ports first-timers, any must-see tours, or get off and look around?

 

Hello welshaussie and welcome to the thread . Congratulations on your 50th and this great cruise! We are coming up on our 36th next month. Our cruise ended in BA and we had a flight to El Calafate at noon , so we were concerned about passports. We keep a copy of our passport for independent shore excursions and E-mail a copy as back up , but we need the real thing for travel. We didn't wait until the general announcement (the night before BA) to pick up our passport. We went down to the front office on our day at sea after Puerto Madryn and they gave them to us. When you are staying in Valparaiso you may just want to have the hotel call a cab to take you to the port. A couple of suggestions:

 

1. I didn't see a thread on the roll call for your cruise so you may want to start one.

 

2. Review HAL's shore excursions first to see where your personal interests lay and consider your options.

 

3. Contact Patrick Watts in the Falkland Islands early - he's the Best source and his tours sellout early. You may see 5 different species of penguins there.

 

http://www.falklandislands.com/product.php/76/24/tour_guides

 

We're glad that you enjoy the review and will try to answer all questions.

[scubacruiserx2]

After returning from our tour to Punta Tombo we had a dinner date at the Pinnacle grill for the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre . This occurs only one time during the cruise . I'm not usually one for interactive crime-fighting but I do enjoy fine dining - so we were there !! We were thrilled with the menu and wine pairing

 

 

 

 

It looks like we not the only ones that had too much wine as this out of focus photo shows !!

 

 

 

 

 

We won't give too many details except to say that we had a great time , a great dinner and a campy show that we won't forget !!!

 

 

In this clip the Detective interrogates a suspect

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The following day found us enroute to Montevideo.

 

 

 

Having secured our passports , it was a nice day for a walk on the lower promenade deck. The sea was calm - very calm. And once again -we were being followed.

 

 

 

 

 

At the bow of the ship was this bird that looked like a flight risk

 

 

 

 

 

And it was off !!

 

 

 

 

 

After banking a turn , it gave us a fly by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

In Montevideo we found our friend from Ushuaia , the ADIA cara had already docked

 

 

 

 

We had decided to DIY in Montevideo with our friends Daniel and Sarah. We were greeted by some people on quay offering a free ride to a leather factory located at Plaza Independencia which is where we began our walking tour. This is approximately the route that we walked

 

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Rambla+25+de+Agosto+de+1825,+Montevideo,+Uruguay/Plaza+Independencia,+Montevideo,+Uruguay/@-34.9066725,-56.2071423,17z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x959f7f86f802f14f:0x6d4311eddfba1dce!2m2!1d-56.2102738!2d-34.9045535!3m4!1m2!1d-56.2078219!2d-34.9084601!3s0x959f7f81746446d1:0x6f208fc05c903e1f!1m5!1m1!1s0x959f802b0e1d1f07:0x7d9cac3abf570af3!2m2!1d-56.1997193!2d-34.9069929!3e2

 

 

After leaving the shop , we saw this statue of Artigas "the father of Uruguayan nationhood"

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gervasio_Artigas

 

 

 

At the end of the square is this beautiful building

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was at the Plaza Constitution where a flea market was being set up. They had some interesting antiques with good prices , but we were very limited weight in the amount of weight that we could carry on the upcoming flights.

 

 

 

 

As we walked a little farther down the Sarandi pedestrian mall we saw a lot of excitement going on. I couldn't resist videoing this happy couples big moment !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love some of the graffiti that we saw during the walk

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Many of the shops on the street that we walked by , and went into , had a distinctly European feel. Except for all of the Coke signs that we saw everywhere !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a solo Pepsi sign at the Beatles BAR

 

 

 

 

We wandered into the Estancia del Puerto at 11:30 am , and the place was empty

 

 

 

 

 

And found what we really wanted - Asado on the Parrilla !!

 

 

 

 

The grilling process is better appreciated in this video clip :

 

 

 

 

 

We found a table and ordered drinks , steak and chorizo . We were enjoying our drinks and our friend's company when we noticed that the place was filling up - Fast . Soon , our lunch arrived and the smell was incredible !! After tasting we realized that we had found meat heaven . It was more than just a lunch. It is the Quintessential dining experience of South America.

 

 

As you can see in this video - We were not alone !

 

 

 

 

Before we knew it , it was time to reboard the Zaandam. And set sail for Buenos Aires .

 

 

Edited February 20, 2014 by scubacruiserx2
To insert the corret video

[Floridiana]

What did we see on our Puerto Madryn excursion? A sea lion colony, a cormorant colony, several species of land birds, a curious guanaco, horses and a sheep shearing demonstration with traditional tools. Our cruise was too late in the season for penguins. We booked it because it went all the way to Florida, but weather and penguinwise, the height of the southern summer is much better.

[J-D]

More birds to identify! The first one in post #146 (photo copied below) is another Southern Giant Petrel.

 

...And once again -we were being followed.

 

 

 

The series of seabird photos (one of the series is repeated below) is of a shearwater, of which there are numerous species -- often difficult to distinguish. However, the photos are excellent, and show all the relevant angles, and I am reasonably confident that this bird is a Great Shearwater, Puffinus gravis (Fardela capirotada in Spanish).

 

The Great Shearwater has a very lengthy migration. It nests in colonies in the South Atlantic and then migrates north up the western Atlantic, across the equator, to eastern Canada and Greenland. These birds then cross to the European side before migrating south along the eastern Atlantic and back to the breeding areas.

 

 

John

Edited February 20, 2014 by J-D