Saturday, 5 January 2019
Tuckers Island, Tierra del Fuego, Chile
Set my alarm last night. In the middle of the Magellan Strait still have a phone signal. But. Whilst setting alarm, the clock time fast forwarded an hour. Oh flip. That can’t be right. It can only be an Argentine signal and that’s certainly not 1hr ahead of Chile. Oh well, looks like I’ll be waking up an hour earlier than planned.
Wake up at normal 0700hrs time. Phone is back to Chilean time. Even though there is no phone signal now. Or wifi. I’m completely cut off from the outside world. Bit like being in North Korea a couple of years ago (blog for that trip will be done at some point). Cunning plan. Put phone in flight mode. That should keep it at local time.
At breakfast, Mrs Dutch talks about people not listening so I interject with, “Sorry, what was that?” and she repeats herself about people not listening and then suddenly realises, which makes the table erupt with laughter. Jolly good. My humour translates.
Given the choice of a challenging hike up a hill which necessitates holding on to ropes or a moderate walk through coastal forests. As I’ve done my challenging walk up a snow covered hill (really high mountain) on Danco Island in Antarctica, go with the sedate option.
Zodiacs to Ainsworth Bay. Unlike the Ocean Nova that had wet landings from the Zodiacs, in that you stepped out in shallow sea water, here they have dry landings and provide a mobile gantry from beach to Zodiac. Prefer the wet landings, much more adventurous. The other difference is that we take off the bright orange lifejackets at the beach. On Ocean Nova, we’d kept them on at all times. I’d supposed that was so we could jump in a Zodiac pronto if the weather changed.
I’m not that into flora and fauna but it’s quite interesting. They introduced 2,000 beaver in the 1940s and now there are 100,000. This causes flooding of the forest by the building of dams/weirs by the beaver. Our guide spots a new dam that hadn’t been there a few weeks ago and supposes that the entire area will be flooded over the next few years. I’ve always wanted to see a beaver dam and lodge ever since a school project in the 1970s. And now I see three. They’re like buses these beavers…you wait decades to see a beaver dam and then they all come at once. Bit like those albinos in Africa https://touringtaurean.com/2018/07/25/a-pain-in-the-backside/
Walk through the forest to a rock face which is dripping water and covered with moss. Antarctica was various shades of blue. Here, it’s all shades of green. Very Zen like area and we’re encouraged to have a moment’s silence to enjoy the peacef and tranquility. But. That doesn’t stop some woman rabbiting on. French. No doubt. Shut up! Enjoy the silence.
Returning to the Zodiacs, we’re greeted by a drinks station. Hot chocolate, Sir? Oh, go on then. Would Sir like a splash of whisky in that? Oh, go on then. So. There I am. Enjoying a hot chocolate with whisky admiring the grey, wet tones of Tierra del Fuego. And it’s not even noon.
Couple of hours sail back the way we came to Tuckers Island to see a penguin rookery. Having experienced plenty of penguins in Antarctica, I’m not expecting great things. There are one hour Zodiac tours by language. So at 1530hrs, Iran, Russia, USA whoever depart. 1630hrs Germany, UK, Italy, France and…for some bizarre reason…cabin 309. Ooh the intrigue. Is cabin 309 a new country now. I know we’re cut off from the outside world but has the UN sanctioned cabin 309 as a new country?
Prior to our 1630hrs departure there’s a very quick tour of the engine room. For the technically minded like me, it’s like porn. Lots of pipes and wires. It’s adjacent the food stores. Pleased to report there’s plenty of fruit, so at least we’re not going to die of scurvy.
Zodiac trip to the penguins begins with the guide trying to drum up enthusiasm with, “So, who’s happy to be going to see the penguins?” He’s expecting a whooping and a hollering. Quite frankly, I can be doing without this. And so it seems everyone else can as it doesn’t illicit much of response. He makes a second more enthusiastic attempt. We have to join in. It’s very much along the lines of Hi-De-Hi’s Ted Bovis doing his, “Ted can’t hear you.” routine (for the foreigners amongst you…and Millennials…Hi-De-Hi was a British sitcom set on a 1950s holiday camp. Ted Bovis was the entertainments manager trying to drum up enthusiasm for various events). I digress.
There’s a few Magallenic penguins on the pebble beach and it’s nothing compared to Antarctica. I have been spoiled the past week with the sights I have seen. We park the Zodiac and see a penguin really struggling to get out of the water and waddle up the beach. It becomes apparent why. His left foot is at 180deg to his right foot. It’s clearly broken though as it’s not bloodied don’t think he’s been bitten by a seal, probably fallen off a rock. It’s really struggling. Poor penguin. It’s looking around for help that will never come. It has to use its beak to edge itself forward (see video below). Penguin is soon out of puff. It lies there a while. Squeaking. Helpless. It edges forward using its beak and right foot to drag itself higher up the beach but it’s really struggling. It can’t walk/waddle so is lying down trying to slide itself up. It won’t be able to feed itself in that state. It will die a slow death. There. On the beach. To be pecked at by some skewer as easy prey. It’s really quite sad. An inquisitive juvenile penguin waddles over to inspect the foot. It knows there’s something not quite right. Injured penguin really struggling to get any farther. Last time I saw a sad thing like that was in Africa when Mum & Dad giraffe were standing over dead baby daughter giraffe which had been eaten by a lion. They just stood there watching over the dead body.
The penguin will die.
If you are affected by this, call the Samaritans.
Enroute back to the ship we’re buzzed by a couple of dolphins. Never seen a dolphin before. This is exciting stuff. Camera. Quick. But. Then. The words you really don’t want to see just as you’re about to take an award winning, memorable photo, ‘Insufficient memory space’. Oh FFS. Really?!? Of all the sodding times. You could probably here my mutterings back in the UK. The dolphin pops up again. 6ft from where I am. Unbelievable.
Pre-dinner lecture on glaciers. Reminds me how much I’ve forgotten from Geography ‘O’ level. The only thing I remember from that is Mr Jewsbury’s Potato in the Pan Theory.
Currently sailing through the Gabriel Channel. The narrowest channel on our journey. It’s windy. Very, very windy!
Told it’s going to be very choppy about 0400hrs as we’ll be sailing into open waters, around the Brecknock Channel, to access the Beagle Channel and Glacier Alley tomorrow. Think I’ll go and get high on cinnarizine (don’t try that kids!!).
