Our 4x4s took us back down the hill and across the water to a beach, and an area with picnic tables. The drivers parked around the tables, blocking the wind, and encouraged us to bundle up and go photograph penguins while they set out lunch. (Hot soup, hot drinks and sandwiches.)
Can you identify the Gentoo, King and Magellanic penguins we photographed at this stop?
Our next, and final stop, was a highlight of the day, in part because it was almost a frustrating disappointment.
One of the guides headed off with binoculars in search of any one of the three Macaroni penguins that hang out with the Rockhopper colony. Success! They saw them, and began describing where they were… but the Flat Friends just couldn’t spot them.
The wind was fierce, and even wearing parkas it felt cold, which was not helping. Fortunately, the guide was patient.
They went to multiple angles until suddenly they found one where the Macaronis weren’t just popping up behind a rock, they were completely visible, head to toe! And all three were hanging out together!
Penguin Pronunciation Guide
Gentoo
Sounds like: JEN-too
Think of: The name “Jen” followed by the word “too.”
King
Sounds like: King
Think of: Just like a king wearing a crown!
Magellanic
Sounds like: maj-uh-LAN-ik
Think of: Breaking it into smaller parts: “maj” (like magic), “uh”, “LAN” (rhymes with pan), “ik” (like tick).
Rockhopper
Sounds like: ROK-hop-er
Think of: A penguin that hops over rocks.
Macaroni
Sounds like: mak-uh-ROW-nee
Think of: Your favorite macaroni and cheese!
Check out Flat Hal’s Falkland Islands posts from across the years: https://www.flathal.xyz/archives/tag/falkland-islands
