Where in the World are the Wendells: Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego

Penguins on Peninsula Valdes

Ushuaia

Beagle Channel

Porto Madryn is the gateway to Peninsula Valdes, a World Heritage site preserved as a sanctuary for wildlife. It is a 160 KM drive across Peninsula Valdes to San Lorenzo, half of which is on a gravel road. During the drive we saw Guanaco (similar to Llama), Rhea (similar to an Ostrich) and sheep along the road (Welsh settlers established the wool industry starting in 1865). At San Lorenzo, we visited one of the largest colonies of Magellanic Penguins (named after Ferdinand Magellan whose crew first spotted the penguins and thought they were ducks), numbering 500,000 during the summer months, before they migrate to Brazil for the winter months. The males arrive in August to dig their burrows, and the females arrive 20 days later for mating. We wandered through the burrows, getting within a couple feet of the penguins and their chicks. See these YouTube links to Magellanic penguin videos: penguins at their burrow, 2 penguins walking about, penguins under a tree

Magellanic Penguins

Rookery

Penguin Chicks

Colony of Magellanic

Guanaco

Lunch on an Estancia (ranch), one of many on the peninsula. They served empanadas and locally sourced lamb from the wool sheep that are raised on the ranches. [Our guide explained that sheep’s teeth wear down after about 7 years, and they will eventually starve to death if not killed for their meat.] The San Lorenzo Malbec, established in 1909, is locally sourced and very good.

We then drove about 20 KM to Punta Norte where we saw a large number of sea lions with their pups, and a massive male elephant seal with his harem of females and their pups, and more Magellanic Penguins. An armadillo was wandering around the parking lot (see the video on YouTube).

Seal Lions

Sea Lions

Punta Norte

Elephant Seals

Armadillo

Ushuaia (oo-swy-ah) is the southernmost city in the world at 55 degrees south latitude, closer to the south pole than to Argentina’s northern border with Bolivia. It is situated on the Beagle Channel, named after the ship on which Charles Darwin made his historic voyage in 1839.

Ushuaia sign

Town of Ushuaia

Martial Glacier

Ushuaia is a cute town with a frontier vibe. The Martial Glacier is always visible in the Andes Mountains north of town. Museo de Fin del Mundo (end of the world) was closed due to Carnival, which was disappointing.

View across Beagle Channel

Beagle channel

Beagle Channel lighthouse

Visited Parco Nacional Tierra del Fuego, drove through mountain passes and peat bogs. Was surprised that Tierra del Fuego was not barren but is heavily wooded with Beech trees. At Ensenada Zaratiegui we saw former settlements of the native Yamana (Yahgan), who lived in this harsh climate with no clothes, and swam in the freezing waters. The mountains in the distance are Chile.

Tierra del Fuego N.P.

Ensenada Zaratiegui

Lago Acigami is a beautiful lake feeding Bahia (Bay) Lapataia, which then flows into the Beagle Channel.

Lago Acimagi

At Bahia Lapataia we boarded a catamaran for a cruise of Beagle Channel, past Ushuaia east to islands populated with Sea Lions and black-and-white Cormorants which resemble penguins from a distance. Sailing the Beagle Channel west of Ushaia, we passed Alberto de Agostini National Park (Chile) with several glaciers visible, including an amazing glacier that descends down to the Beagle Channel.