Penguin Day on Magdalena Island

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Today is penquin day. We have all been hoping the weather would allow us to land on Magdalena Island to view some of the 120,000 Magellanic penguins. We are in luck our weather has held and we suit up to go to Magdalena Island. We will keep our life jackets on because it is windy and they will blow away. We are told if the ship blasts its horn we must evacuate the island. Weather changes fast in this part of the world. We spend an hour walking on the pathways enjoying watching the penguins and their babies as well as the sea gulls and their babies. The male penguins sing like a penquin chorus. The females find their mate by listening for their mates song. Some penguins looked like they were fighting maybe trying to impress the females.

After breakfast we cruise into Punta Arenas to disembark. We take a short stroll around the main square of Punta Arenas, most of us stop in a hotel to use bathrooms and connect into the internet. We have had no internet for four days. We are still in Chile and have a local guide. He tells us that Chile is open for business and welcomes people to move to Chile to work. He says that 45% of the population is Catholic. Young people go to college in the north and most stay in the north after graduation. He states there is friction between Argentina and Chile but locals may have family in both countries. It is the windy season and the wind can knock you off your feet. It is windy for six months. . After lunch we drive to Puerto Natales where we will spend the night before heading to Torres del Paine National Park. We have a chance to walk along the shore and to the shops before dinner at our hotel. We bought a bottle of wine and we enjoy our wine with views of the black neck swans swimming in the bay.

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