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Published: February 26th 2014
DAY 7 Just caught the end of an unbelievable sunrise! No time to take a photo so hopefully will repeat tomorrow. This morning we cruised by catamaran along the Beagle Channel dotted with many rocky island outcrops each supporting a huge range of wildlife. The trip was incredibly scenic & the weather very kind (sunny patches, about 14 deg., and a very slight tail wind.
Our first stop was a safe haven for hundreds of resting cormorants and other seabirds. Next stop was a fur seal colony and finally a penguin island (magellanic & gantoo) and quite incredibly 2 king emperor penguins which are way outside their normal Antarctic environment.
We cruised on to the Harberton Estancia (ranch) formally a famous working ranch in an area originally settled by Welsh sheep farmers. The farm is now a tourist destination after a severe winter knocked out almost the entire herd in the mid 1990's. Its still permanently occupied by an elderly but active and colourful 4th generation son and his wife who is now famous for her maritime skeleton conservation & research. It's a living museum to show what life was like on a classic southern ranch. Obviously very harsh,
especially winters - no road access, no ready access to provisions/services, 6 hrs of sunlight, logs for energy required to be felled and floated to site. All this with 6 children, 5 who were born on site and hence the strange name of the mountain with 5 jagged peaks overlooking Ushuaia (5 brothers and sisters - see yesterdays photo.)
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Nan Carroll
non-member comment
Greetings from downtown Newstead !!
Am sitting here in the study reading your blog. What a start to the trip !! You certainly had a lucky escape from the muggers. Well done Ruthie. See it doesn't hurt to get on the IPAD and do the research. The scenery looks amazing and the animal/bird life just gorgeous. We miss you already and send you lots of love. Continue to travel safe. Off to Noosa this weekend. Will toast you with a good red ! Lots of Love Nan and Mike xxx