Port Stanley, Falklands Islands

We made it to Stanley around 7AM this morning.  It was a bit overcast and threatened rain. Temperature was only 6 degrees.  Everyone on field trips bundled up and headed out on the tenders to load on their 4X4s, buses, vans or whatever.  Mom chose the "rock hopper" penguin trip had a great time viewing this interesting and striking looking penguins with their great plumage.

Mom and the Rock Hoppers!

Rocker Hoppers enjoying the Late Devonian Port Stanley Formation Quartzite. 

I walked into town and poked around along the beach to the west of town.  I passed lots of Kelp Geese and the main market garden area for the town.  It is early spring, so only some potatoes and cabbage are coming up.  As I walked along I suddenly smelled the sweat scent of stocks and around the Gorse is in bloom.  Mixed with the scent of stokes was the unmistakable smell of peat burning. I couldn't see where it was from, but the houses all looked like they had modern heating systems. The day warmed up and the skies cleared.  B the time I headed back to the ship I was decidedly hot!

Stokes and Gorse in bloom along the shore edge.

Many backyards had chickens - these one had a really nice house!

Modern, well stocked grocery store - it had lots of cold weather gear!

Shoreline looking westward into Stanley.  An old ship was wrecked and only the boilers remain in the shallow water.

This is a spot where mariners can go and get a meal, trade a book, or even get some clothes. 

Glenn and I are convinced that there is a huge market in trampolines in small isolated polar Islands. They also abound in the Faroe Island and Iceland. 

More nice quartize. It forms prominent ridges throughout this part of the island.


Check on the tracker link to see where we are - tomorrow morning around 8 AM will will cross the Antarctic convergence zone. http://my.yb.tl/seabournexpeditions/1903/#

Once we are south of that point we are considered to be truly in Antarctic seas.