A Penguin Encounter
Following the day of rest, it was time for another full day of activities to make up for the previous day.
I started with breakfast and then inquired about the shuttle to Emerald Lagoon for a morning hike before my boat tour. The weather had improved so things were looking better. Unfortunately, I was met with the news that the shuttle return times from the Lagoon would be too late for me to make my tour, and as such, I had to choose between the hike and the boat tour.
It was not really a hard decision, considering that I really wanted to see the penguins, and had plenty of other hikes on my trip. It was time to find a way to spend the morning, so once again, I found a cafe to sit at, catch up on writing (yes, I am very behind), and enjoy a coffee with a slice of cake.
A few hours later, I got up and went for another walk along the boardwalk, which was much nicer than the previous day as the weather was much friendlier. I walked to the beginning of the city, where there was the stereotypical city name sign, and took some time to observe the different birds in the water. One bird really stood out to me, which looked like a cross between a seagull and a duck, and was very very large. They were flying very majestically, barely flapping their wings and instead just drifting up and down.
Observing wildlife for me has become a random hobby, in the sense that I am not necessarily a wildlife expert or anything, rather just a fan of observing how different species behave and trying to understand their roles, all the while appreciating how each was created with certain capabilities to help them survive.
Anyways, less about wildlife for now, as it was time for my boat soon. I walked back into the city, and had a quick lunch with consisted of an empanada (classic) and a pan con queso (cheese bread). The lunch was enough to satisfy me and help me get through the upcoming boat tour which was going to be a while. After lunch, I made a quick stop at the hostel to drop some of my things off then made my way to the docker. Fortunately the boat was still planned for the day and I headed over to the terminal to board.
While boarding the boat, I was lucky enough to meet another English speaking passenger - Melissa from Ohio. We would spend the next few hours discussing our travels and observing the wildlife we were seeing outside. She was travelling through Chile and Argentina, doing hikes all over the place, mixed in between activities like this. She told me about her different trips in the past, including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and hiking up to the Mt. Everest Basecamp, both trips which I would love to do in the future.
Soon enough, we reached the first stop of our boat which was an island off the coast of Ushuaia where Sea Lions and these penguin-like birds (they look like penguins but walk normally and can fly) nested. The sea lions where just as one would expect, very smelly and boring in their behaviour. It seemed to be their afternoon nap time so there was not much going there, although I saw a younger sea lion walking over half the colony, if you can even call it walking, which was king of cool. All the other sea lions were too lazy to be even be bothered by this child.
The birds were not any more interesting to be honest, just doing regular bird things - sitting around or flying around. We were told that they were capable of diving 20 meters deep in these cold waters but unfortunately, I did not witness any of that.
The next stop was more or less another small island with the same birds and sea lions, so nothing much to talk about there. We saw the Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, an 80 year old or so lighthouse that is still operational to this day, used to help ships navigate through the rocky waters. I have to say that while the idea of it was cool, the lighthouses we have on the coast of Nova Scotia, specifically the ones along the lighthouse route, are much more impressive in terms of looks.
After that, it was time to embark on the longer ride do Martillo Island, where the penguins were nesting for the summer. There were two types of penguins on the island - Magellanic and Gentoo penguins. The ones I spotted were the former but I was lucky to find one of the latter, but only one.
The penguins were everything I wanted to see and more, and we were lucky that our boat actually docker on the beach, so that we could properly observe the penguins. Seeing them walk was funny, and their random bickering was also entertaining. As slow as they were on land, it was completely different when they got in the water. I describe them as torpedos, moving very fast in the water, as if they had a jet attached to their backs.
Penguin Life
It was also amazing how ruinous these penguins were, getting really close to the boat to observe us just as we were them. I found it a bit ironic how they seemed to be curious despite how many boats filled with people they must see each day, but I could not complain about it at all. I also have to note that they were much tinier than expected, most having a height between 45 and 60 cm. I mean they were basically stuffed animals.
About an hour later, it was time to say goodbye to the penguins and head back to Ushuaia. The ride back was smooth, and Melissa and I spent most of the time discussing how cool the penguins were as well as talking more about our travels. Upon getting back to town, it was time to have dinner as we were both starving after the long excursion.
We went to dinner at Bodegon Fueguino, a restaurant I had seen on my first night in Ushuaia which offered promising lamb dishes. We were lucky to get there just before the crowds, and get a seat without having to wait.
Ushuaia, and Patagonia in general, is well known for its lamb, and Uli and Ren told me that I have to eat lamb everywhere in Patagonia to try the different preparations and compare the flavours. I ordered the lamb in a white spinach and leek sauce, served with a side of mashed pumpkins. The portions were huuuugggeee, and left me more than satisfied. The flavour was absolutely delicious and made it for the disappointing meal from the previous night. The mashed pumpkin was also amazing, as I think I have only ever had pumpkin in soup form before that. Despite both of us being more or less full, we had to go for dessert, and I ordered the flan with the dulce de leche. It was not the best flan I have had beforehand but was still satisfying, especially as I had not had dessert in a few nights.
After the hearty meal, it was time for us to part ways. We bid each other safe and enjoyable travels, exchanged socials, and then took our own ways.
Overall, it was a great day, and I have to admit that the penguins were the highlight of the day, and did not leave me disappointed at all. Is it possible to get pet penguins?
What were your thoughts on the day? Are there any adventure style trips you would like to take? What wildlife observation trips have you taken? Let me know in the comments below and till then, stay positive!
