Punta Arenas is really the final port for our cruise. We’d booked a tour through the ship to go see the penguin colony at Magdelana Island. This involved meeting very early in the morning for our tour. The ship was about a half hour late getting into port this morning because of some adverse currents in the high speed run. We were the second group off the ship (after the folks travelling to Antarctica, at $4k a person). Tendered in to shore where we’d been told we’d need our Chilean immigration papers (turns out for all the ship was insisting we needed them, nobody there wanted them). Then we got on a bus for a short trip to another spot where we got onto what turned out to be a car ferry (one with some inside seating for people). This ferry trip was 2 hours of sheer boredom inside in a stifling seating area. It’s only going about 20 miles, so it’s not exactly the fastest boat afloat.
But wow, when we got there, this penguin colony was pretty impressive. I had been a little worried about how much we’d see since this was another magellenic penguin group, which make their nests in holes in the group. Not to worry, as soon as the boat had docked, a welcoming committee of penguins came down to investigate. Their are thousands of penguins here. (I think the brochure we picked up said something like 39 thousand nesting pairs of penguins?) Here there’s a trail staked out with ropes that eventually leads up to a lighthouse at the top of the hill, and you have to stay on the trail. But no worry, the penguins are constantly waddling across the trail, or standing right at the edge watching you walk by. We only get an hour on the island, but man is it pretty neat. I’d been impressed in the Falklands, and almost thought of cancelling this tour since we’d managed to see penguins already, but that really would have been a mistake.
Unfortunately, then we had to get back onto the 2 hour long ferry ride, and no, it didn’t really improve on the way back. After we got back into town, we wandered to the main square and looked through the craft market that was set up there. Then it was time to head back to ship.
We did leave port somewhat late today. This time it was due to that Antarctica trip running a little late. Apparently, when you pay $4k for an excursion, the captain’s going to cut you a little slack about showing up a little late :).
That’s it though, from now on all we have are sea days for this cruise. Some of that time is going to be spent in the Chilean Fjords, but sometime tonight the ship is going to exit the Strait of Magellan (which we’re in as I type this) and briefly enter the Pacific Ocean. The captain did warn us that when that happens things could get a little rougher. Apparently we’re looking at 12-15 foot swells out there.