Nov. 11, 2011 - Punta Arenas

Our ship docked at 7 AM and we were off at about 8.30 on a shore excursion to see Otway Sound and the Penguin Reserve. We headed north over a paved road and then turned into a gravel road into the reserve. We had magnificent views of the Pinto Range at the reserve. We reached the caves where the Magellan penguins live and nest. We came at the time when the penguins nest and have their young. We saw a couple of penguins nesting and 2 small penguins that were hidden under the wooden walkway that we had to walk on. We had to walk from the bus for about a mile before we saw the lookout where there were many penguins near the water. The penguins here were the small variety not the king penguins that we see in many pictures. Also we saw at the Reserve wild geese, sheep, horses and a bird that looked like an emu. Punta Arenas is a small city with a population of 120,000 and claims to be the most southern city in the world.

Small sized penguins near the shore at the Penguin Reserve

Two penguins crossing a stream near the wooden walkway

One penguin sitting on an egg while her mate is protecting her

Dorothy and Con bundled up for the cold on the wooden walkway at the Penguin Reserve

The view of the city of Punta Arenas from the top deck of our ship.