Impressions from the Falkland Islands, January-February 2017 (2)

(Photos by Frithjof C. Kuepper and Eleni Kytinou)

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First sight of the Falkland Islands, coming from Ascension Island

Welcome home! Kay's B&B in Stanley, our base during every expedition to the Falklands since December 2010

The famous shed in Kay's garden, offering accommodation when the house is full.
It has survived the 1982 Argentine invasion!

Harbor of Stanley, the Falklands' capital. Cruise ship passengers arrive at this wharf.

 Sunset in Stanley

Mined beach at Murrell Farm, East Falkland. At the end of the war, Argentina forces had left > 20,000 mines in a number of mine fields in the Falklands. Only recently, significant progress has been made to de-mine these areas.

My PhD student Emma Beaton at one of the gentoo penguin colonies at Murrell Farm

Eleni at the rockhopper penguin colony at Murrell Farm

Peat cutting area on Murrell Farm. Peat is the traditional, home-grown fuel in the Falklands.

Murrel Farm House, East Falkland

Argentine position (with RPG launcher and propane bottles) at the access road to Murrell Farm,
East Falkland.

Ammunition in Argentine position at the access road to Murrell Farm,
East Falkland.

Stevie Cartwright (Shallow Marine Surveys Group) with his truck outside Kay's B&B
before our dive at the Tussock Islands

Eleni and Akira before our dive at the Tussock Islands

 Eleni diving in the giant kelp forest at the Tussoc Islands

 Giant kelp forest at the Tussoc Islands

  Giant kelp forest at the Tussoc Islands

Collection of a substratum sample for algal isolation work (Germling Emergence Method)

  Giant kelp (Macrocystis) forest at the Tussoc Islands

 Tunicates on kelp phylloids

 Encounter with dolphins while snorkeling in Gypsy Cove

  Encounter with dolphins while snorkeling in Gypsy Cove

 

The gentoo penguin colony at New Haven, before boarding the ferry to Port Howard (West Falkland)

Eleni at the gentoo penguin colony at New Haven, before boarding the ferry to Port Howard
(West Falkland)

The gentoo penguin colony at New Haven, before boarding the ferry to Port Howard (West Falkland)

Crossing Falkland Sound - West Falkland is waiting for us!

Looking out for whales and dolphins in Falkland Sound

The Narrows, the maritime access to Port Howard

Reaching Port Howard

Port Howard

 We were on the ferry together with the Zimbabwean de-mining team currently clearing Argentine mine fields in the Falklands

Westward view towards the Passage Islands, seen from the road to Port Philomel and Port Howard

Port Philomel, where Skottsberg had discovered Cladochroa chnoosporiformis over a century ago

Akira and Eleni hunting Cladochroa in the intertidal at Port Philomel

Eleni holding a crab, Port Philomel

Akira in our improvised lab at Dunnose Head Farm, West Falkland

Cladochroa found!

 Mounting Cladochroa as herbarium specimens

The buildings of Dunnose Head Farm, West Falkland

Adenocystis utricularis at high tide (in the intertidal) at Dunnose Head, West Falkland

 Sunset over the Macrocystis (giant kelp) forest at Dunnose Head, West Falkland

Heron at Dunnose Head

Adenocystis utricularis in the rocky intertidal at Dunnose Head

Hunting seaweeds in the  intertidal at Dunnose Head, West Falkland

Leftover of a bomb from the 1982 war at Dunnose Head Farm

 Wildlife in the Falklands is totally fearless of humans!
Eleni's encounter with king cormorants, Dunnose Head

Tea time in Rosemary's cozy living room with a sea view

Hiking to a sperm whale skeleton in a shallow bay at Dunnose Head

Pilot whale skull, Dunnose Head

Magellanic oyster catchers, Dunnose Head

Frithjof with sperm whale skull, Dunnose Head

 Eleni with sperm whale skull, Dunnose Head

King cormorants, Dunnose Head

Farewell from Dunnose Head - loading the car

Seaweed collections next to the road from Port Philomel to Chartres,
West Falkland

Before our 2 dives in the Narrows, Port Howard, West Falkland

Before our 2 dives in the Narrows, Port Howard, West Falkland

Eleni diving in the Narrows, off Port Howard, West Falkland

 Sponges in the Narrows, off Port Howard, West Falkland

Suddenly a group of curious - or rather, invasive - sea lions showed up and buzzed us...

 Suddenly a group of curious - or rather, invasive - sea lions showed up and buzzed us... makes your heart beat faster!!

Critta Lee's house in Port Howard where we stayed

The small museum in Port Howard
with leftovers of the Argentine occupation and Falklands War, 1982

Gentoo penguin feeding its chick, New Haven

Collecting seaweeds in an estuary near San Carlos, East Falkland

 Estuary near San Carlos, East Falkland

The British forces' cemetery at Blue Beach, San Carlos, East Falkland

The British forces' cemetery at Blue Beach, San Carlos, East Falkland. The number of graves is rather small since most casualties were repatriated to mainland UK.

Blue Beach, San Carlos, East Falkland. This was the landing site of British forces during the reconquest of East Falkland in 1982.

Emma at Blue Beach, San Carlos, East Falkland

Snorkeling at San Carlos: Barnacles (Cirripedia) at high tide

Snorkeling at San Carlos:Chiton snail

Couple of Falkland steamer ducks at Blue Beach, San Carlos, East Falkland

Driving along the very long, lonely roads of East Falkland

 East Falkland scenery

Teal Inlet, East Falkland

Road near Estancia, East Falkland

Stone run, a typical Falklands feature of glacial origin, near Mt. Kent, East Falkland

Remains of an Argentine helicopter, shot down in 1982

The road to Stanley. The Falklands produce around 60% of their electricity from wind energy!

Wreck of the Lady Elisabeth and Stanley, with the characteristic skyline of the Two Sisters (centre right), Mt. Tumbledown and Sapper Hill

Young magellanic penguins at Gypsy Cove, near Stanley, East Falkland

Eleni in the Magellanic penguin colony at Gypsy Cove

 Magellanic penguins at Gypsy Cove, near Stanley, East Falkland

 This beach at Gypsy Cove is only for the penguins!

Coastal defense gun from WWI (when the Falklands were under threat of attack by the Germans!)

Stanley Cathedral, a landmark of the Falklands

Eleni under the Whale Bone Arch in front of Stanley Cathedral

Magellanic penguin at Gypsy Cove

 Magellanic penguins at Gypsy Cove

Penguins on the beach at Gypsy Cove

The road from Goose Green to North Arm, East Falkland. A bridge was being fixed, obliging traffic to drive through the river

Sheep shearing in North Arm

North Arm, Lafonia, East Falkland

North Arm, Lafonia, East Falkland

Lessonia kelp forest, North Arm, East Falkland

 Red-backed haw on a lonely house in Lafonia between Goose Green and North Arm. I had seen a bird of the same species here in December 2010!

Break at the famous Goose Green Galley Cafe, a popular venue for veterans from 1982

Goose Green

 Hare on the road from Goose Green to Darwin, East Falkland

Darwin, East Falkland - the village is named after Charles Darwin, who visited the Falklands twice

The Argentine cemetery near Darwin

Sunset in East Falkland after the long drive to North Arm

Sperm whale skull as part of a whale and whaling exhibit, Stanley

 Whaling exhibit, Stanley

 Frithjof on Berta's Beach, East Falkland

Gentoo penguin on Berta's Beach, East Falkland

 Dive excursion with SAERI / SMSG

  Dive excursion with SAERI / SMSG

 The South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI)

 Jubilee Villas, Stanley

Kay's famous gnome garden - another Stanley landmark!

 Bunnies in Kay's gnome garden. They had spent almost a year at Oceanlab!

 Kay's B&B

Lab work at SAERI - last evening before Akira's farewell and return to Europe.

Leaving Stanley for Sea Lion Island

First sight of Sea Lion Island

Landed in Sea Lion Island: we were the only 2 passengers...

A couple of Upland Geese

Two skuas overpowering and killing a gentoo penguin chick

Two king penguins appearing on the scene

Gentoo penguins on Sea Lion Island

 Gentoo penguins on Sea Lion Island

 A gentoo penguin looking at the chick that has just been killed by the skuas

Sea Lion Island scenery

Magellanic oystercatcher

 How do you kiss an elephant seal?

Orcas cruising off the beach of Sea Lion Island, hunting elephant seals

Fighting elephant seals

Visit to the Italian scientists (in their container accommodation) who are studying elephant seals on Sea Lion Island

 

Shag colony, Sea Lion Island

The cliffs of Sea Lion Island... breeding habitat for rockhopper penguins
(who come up these cliffs, smartly using the swell)

Rockhopper penguins

 Memorial to the HMS Sheffield, which was sunk off Sea Lion Island during the 1982 Falklands War

Sea lion bull with a female of his harem

Magellanic penguin and Sea Lion Lodge, the only place to stay on the island, at sunset

Magellanic penguins and fighting elephant seal bulls

Juvenile elephant seals displaying already the typical fighting behavior

Orca outside the Orca Pool, Sea Lion Island

Pod of 5 orcas outside the Orca  Pool, Sea Lion Island

This young elephant seal better watches out... there is an orca waiting in the sea outside the pool!

As soon as we sat down for our picknick lunch, these 2 caracaras showed up



Couple of caracaras, Sea Lion Island

Eleni with a caracara on the cliffs of Sea Lion Island

On the way back to Stanley, we were again the only 2 passengers... and Eleni got the co-pilot's seat.

King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 Dead king penguin chick, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

Beach at Volunteer Point, East Falkland

King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

Eleni with king penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

Frithjof with king penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 Dhia's present! Dates from Kuwait were feeding us among the penguins...

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

 King penguins, Volunteer Point, East Falkland

Leftover from the Argentine invasion, Stanley

 Farewell party at the Malvina, Stanley

 Farewell party at the Malvina, Stanley

 Farewell party at the Malvina, Stanley

Last view of the Falklands, heading to Ascension Island

Sunset above the South Atlantic, about 1 hr before reaching Ascension for the refueling stop

We were traveling with Nigel Haywood, the previous Governor of the Falkland Islands

After an 8 h overnight flight from Ascension Island with the Royal Air Force, landed at RAF Brize Norton (Oxfordshire)