Looking ahead – what the guide says about The Falkland Islands:

“Many ships call into the Falkland Islands on their way to or from Antarctica.  These stops usually turn out to be a pleasant surprise for those on board.  Located 477 km (296 miles) east of southern Argentina, the Falklands are a rare mix of wildlife hotspot and delightful inhabited outpost.  Comprising over 700 islands, the archipelago has a human population of around 4000, and a sea-bird population that dwarfs that.  For wildlife lovers the Falklands are a fantastic destination.  Unlike other subantarctic islands, they can be visited independently by scheduled flights.”

The archipelago is slightly larger than the area of Jamaica including water.  Theya re around 51 degrees south latitude, the equivalent to Southern Labrador, London, and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the north.  They are, however, much colder and are constantly raked by strong winds.  There are no naturally recurring trees.  Temperature in the summer tends to be around 9 degrees Celsius / 48 degrees Fahrenheit and the sun shines more often than not.

The book talks about literally millions of petrels, albatrosses, penguins, gulls, and cormorants.  Black-browed albatrosses, rockhopper penguins, giant petrels, white-chinned petrels, Antarctic prions, Magellanic and blue-eyed cormorants, kelp geese, upland geese, crested ducks, flightless steamer ducks.  

There are mammals including Commerson’s and Peale’s dolphins, killer whales, Sei whales, elephant seals, South American fur seals, sea lions, etc.

We’re looking forward to it.  We have a Volunteer Point excursion planned.

We’re also reading up on our next stops in Puerto Madryn, Punta del Este, Montevideo, and finally Buenos Aires.  

I’ve been using Peter Carey & Craig Franklin’s Antarctica Cruising Guide for information on Antarctica as well as the surrounding islands including the Falklands; this includes the quote above.

For ideas on what to do in ports as well as Santiago and Buenos Aires, I’ve been using the latest version of Lonely Planet South America. This helped me give our private guide in Santiago a list of neighborhoods and sites to visit as well as for me to identify what was good for us to see on our own. I’m also using it for a similar guide in Buenos Aires. And it helped me with the museum in Ushuaia and to find Isabel Cocina al Disco in Ushuaia.