We arrived at Mt Pleasant airport and were met by Graham, the manager of Darwin House. The route to Darwin is a mix of paved and gravel roads. We had some lunch and then went exploring.
Graham drove us to Bobie, the southernmost suspension bridge in the world. It is a crumbling, stately structure that is no longer safe for foot or car traffic. …

We started the day by being weighed (a dreaded prospect after last night’s dinner) for our local flight. They weigh everything, including hand luggage to know the amount of fuel necessary.

This morning, we walked along the coastline this morning before our flight. Along the harbour, we saw a misplaced Gentoo penguin playing in the …

Saunders is a large island that is used for both tourism and farming. We drove across most of the island to the Neck, a narrow isthmus that is extraordinarily rich in birdlife, approx 45 minutes from the main settlement. There we saw nearly 20 King penguins in addition to 1 Macaroni penguin, hundred of Rockhoppers and Magellanic and thousands of …

This morning we woke for another flight to Weddell Island, the 3rd largest in the Falklands. Martin and Jane are the hosts and only residents. They are incredibly lovely. Martin teased us nonstop and took us off on a 4WD tour of the island shortly after arrival. He told us that he had emailed the wildlife to make sure that they were positioned …

For breakfast we had scrambled penguin egg and toast. The penguin egg was optional. The Gentoos lay two eggs and the first is generally infertile so some farmers have begun gathering this first egg to encourage the penguins to lay a second fertile egg. It tastes like salmon mixed with scrambled egg and looks like pureed carrot.

After breakfast, …

This morning we enjoyed a final visit with the Elephant Seals before flying to the bustling capital city of Stanley. Though the population of the town hovers around 2500, it did feel very bustling after several days of having islands almost exclusively for ourselves.

We walked around town late this afternoon to tour the government buildings and …

Today we drove 2 1/2 hours via 4WD out to Volunteer Point which boasts the largest King Penguin colony on the islands. Though we had seen plenty of penguins on this trip so far, the sight of hundreds of King Penguins bustling about was truly incredible.
Volunteer Point also has a small Gentoo and Magellanic Penguin population and a few sheep …

Despite being a small airport, we had to arrive very early (4 hours) for our international flight home as they have to get all of the travelers into the departure lounge before the plane arrives. I said goodbye to my friends and boarded the first of my flights for the 3 day journey home!