sealions and penguins

---

One of my reasons for wanting to visit Chile was its vast array of wildlife (I was inspired by reading Gerald Durrel books) and a stop in the town of La serena gave us chance to visit the near by islands which made up the Humbolt penguin reserve.

After a bus journey to the coast we strugled on board a small boat, the large wave battering against the quay convinced me some one was going to fall in but unfortunatly I was disapointed. We set of in rough seas towards some tiny specks of land on the horizon but on reaching them it was worth the discomfort.

Tens of sealions lay basking on the rocks around us or bobbing in the water next to our boat, pulling along side the dominant males on the shore next to us we quickly realised how large they were and just how small our craft was (if one had decided to board we would have easily been capsized). With the males were quick and slender females and cute, puppy eyed pups.

As captivating as these animals were I couldn't help being put of them slightly by the smell, I suppose however if I lived on a diet consisting soley of fish, I probly wouldn't be to fragrent either.

After the sealions we moved on to see the Humbolt penguins that the reserve is named for. They a a cute small spieces who were hard to spot on land amognst the bolders and almost impossible once in the sea. Watching them struggle down the steep cliff paths, part waddling and part falling was a most endearing sight.

catch you all later

trev and jo

---