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Our expedition voyage on Hurtigruten’s MS Fram would take us from Ushuaia to Antarctica, to South Georgia, around the Falklands and then onto Montevideo.
On Friday 10th March and we were at Saunders Island in the Falklands early in the morning.
Saunders Island
We had a very peaceful overnight on Fram. I’m guessing that the ship was at anchor for parts of the night, as the distance to Saunders Island was not that great. We were woken up by mysterious tapping from the car deck below us at about 6 am.
The sea was flat calm as we arrived at Saunders Island and we went to breakfast looking forward to a smooth ride to the shore. As we watched the expedition team went ashore and two 4x4s arrived just above the rocks where they landed. This was to be another wet landing onto rocks.
The landing went smoothly and very quickly. We stepped out of the Polar Circle boats onto a carpet laid over the the wet rocks. Once off the carpet it was very tricky walking on the wet rocks especially on the ones covered in wet kelp.
After dumping our life-jackets we walked up the sandy path to join a track alongside the hill. There we passed the two 4x4s that we’d seen earlier. In one of them a lady was selling souvenirs. As this was the end of the season her stock was depleted and she’d sold out of ‘fridge magnets for the island.
We then turned to our right down towards a small beach. At the top of the beach was sealer’s pot.
As we walked off the beach on a mound there were lots of penguins just sitting there moulting.
King penguins
Following the marker cones we passed even more penguins until we came to an even larger group with a square of sand fenced off containing a group of King penguins.
Then we realised that there were not only chicks but several of the penguins were incubating eggs. This was very late in the season for chicks and eggs so we were told that it was very unlikely that any would survive.
The egg can be clearly seen on the feet of this King penguin.
We spent a lot of time watching the King penguins before moving on further around the beach until we came to a whale skeleton.
This was of a sei whale. Where the skeleton lay had been at high water but overtime the island was lifting up and now the skeleton was well away from the water.
Magellanic penguins
A gentle climb took us past lots of burrows belong to Magellanic penguins and we were able to watch them dive into the burrows we passed.
Looking back down the slope we could now clearly see the waves crashing into the Neck…
… and before us we could see other passengers by a fence way up the slope past the burrows.
Rockhopper penguins
The climb now became much steeper with loose rocks as well as as a grassy slope. Our destination was another large group of penguins. The last 100 meters or so were across rocks until we came to another fence that separated us from the penguins. Looking up the hill, past the fence, were lots of penguins and below us was a magnificent view of ‘the Neck’ with even more penguins.
The Neck strip separates the sea on both sides of the island. On this side of the island the swell was quite high which was the reason we landed on the other side of the island.
The Rockhoppers by the fence had to put up with all of us taking lots of pictures. Unlike yesterday we were unable to get close to the albatross nests that were also on this part of the hill.
Dolphins surfing
The bay below us had lots of waves rolling onto the beach and riding the surf were a group of dolphins. We could see them swimming around in the sea below us and then riding in on a wave.
Walking back down the hill we passed more burrows of the Magellanic penguins as we walked down to the beach. The waves looked perfect for surfing.
The Neck’s beach
Out on the beach we were exposed to the wind and it was quite chilly.
In front of us the beach stretched out with the sea to our right and a gentle slope of sand/peat to our left.
As well as a straggle of passengers there were birds and penguins on the beach.
The Gentoo chicks were again being made to chase a parent to get their next meal. I can only image what the beach would have been like when it was filled with chicks all demanding to be fed.
These three Gentoo were just where the waves were lapping up the beach.
Back to Fram
Our walk back to the landing took us past even more moulting penguins.
After passing the parked 4x4s we could see the Polar Circle boats coming to pick us up.
The surf on the landing side of the island wasn’t rolling in and crashing onto the rocks. Our entry into the Polar Circle boat was easy as now we didn’t have to cross piles of kelp and the carpet was laid across the final rocks.
The ride back to Fram was again smooth. This did mean that after standing in the disinfectant bath and washing our boots we were well and truly hosed down by a crew member. The water was warm and we even had our trousers washed down.
Back from a landing for the last time
This was our last landing but it was with no regrets that that I took off my Muck Boots for the last time!
After lunch I went out on Deck 7 and I briefly saw more dolphins around the ship. By now the expedition team were back onboard and Fram had weighed anchor and was sailing away from the Falklands.
I moved around the ship and I glimpsed more dolphins from Deck 8 forward. Still looking for dolphins, I went down to Deck 5 and to the bow. Leaning over the side I watched as more dolphins swam towards the ship on the starboard side and quickly passed down the ship.
There were whale spouts on the other side of the ship. As Fram sailed further and further away from the Falklands the swell and wind just kept increasing.
Back in our cabin we learnt of a great offer for laundry aboard. Rather than paying per item as we had paid earlier, this offer was for a bag of washing (filled to bursting) for 15 NOK.
Dinner was back to two sittings again and this meal was the one meal of the whole trip that I did not enjoy.
