First Penguins

December 26 – Punta Arenas

The Seabourn Quest docked in Punta Arenas at 0600. At 0700 we boarded a bus with about 30 other people and headed for the speedboat tour of Magdalena and Marta Islands.  We watched sea lions off of Marta Island and then landed on Magdalena Island to spend one hour with Magellanic Penguins.  The island is a preserve and there are 120,000 Magellanic Penguins breeding and living in their nests, alongside with many gulls. In general this penguins mate for life and return to the same burrows year after year.  Many of the penguin chicks were out, all fluffy and gray.  The birds ignore tourists, walking right in front of you at times.  There were also many gulls nesting, some with new chicks.

Arriving in Punta Arenas - L'Boreal is broken down alongside dock

Marta Island Stellar Sea Lions

Returning to the ship, the speedboat was chased briefly by a pod of Southern Porpoise. We returned to the ship for a quick lunch and then took the shuttle bus into town for a quick walk around the main square. Since it was siesta time many of the shops were closed.

Local goods in Punta Arenas

Statues to Magellan

Typical Church

Miriam observing the sights

Returning to the ship we rested and then went to the sailaway party before joining many others in the main restaurant for the chef’s dinner, a multi-course tasting menu with an entrée of local halibut. The evening finished up with the ship’s vocal group singing “songs of the city”.

Tomorrow early we transit “Glacier Alley” before we arrive at Ushuaia before noon.