Cinco Hermanos
After sailing through the night across the Golfo Corcovada we made our way through the Canal Moraleda south of the Parque Natcional Isla Magdalena to the Cinco Hermanos islands which are near the entrance of the Fiordo Aisen. To the east rise the majestic, snow-covered mountains, the highest being Co Macá – approximately 9000 feet. The snow line reaches down to about 2000 feet and a layer of clouds obscured the tops of all the peaks.
We were kind to the guests this morning, allowing them to sleep until 7 AM. Then after a leisurely breakfast we were off to explore the islands. Nearly half the guests decided to go kayaking and most of the rest went out in the Zodiacs for tours along the shore edge by the naturalists. The waters were calm and the silence of the morning was broken only by a bird song or the splash of the kayak oars.
The Zodiac explorers visited a salmon farm, hot springs and saw sea lions fishing.
The tide was nearly low, exposing dense beds of mussels, and a myriad of beautiful algal species many of which are common to our guests from the west coast of North America. Several river otters were spotted near the entrance of small streams, and Blue-eyed Shags and Blue and White Swallows followed the kayaks as they paddled around the islands, exploring the many coves and small beaches. Along the forest edges, the beautiful Notro (Embothrium coccineum) were in full bloom and those in the sunshine were coated with the Green-backed Firecrowns – the hummingbird jewels of this area. Our trip bird count is now in excess of 100 species most of them new to many of our life lists.
After weighing anchor about noon, we headed through the narrow straits between the Isla Rivero and the Reserve National Las Guaitecas, spending a leisurely afternoon enjoying the scenery, visiting the ship’s bridge, watching for whales and identifying seabirds, catching up reading the many books in the library and learning about the wines of Chile. Late in the afternoon, we enjoyed our first of several wine tastings before the ship hit the open waters off the Peninsula de Traitao.
Of the 5100 islands that dot these waters, fewer than 100 are inhabited. As we sail through these waters in the comfort of the Endeavour, we are constantly reminded of the treks of such early explorers as Charles Darwin and Captain Robert Fitzroy who spent two years exploring these waters in the less luxurious, 90 foot long, wooden HMS Beagle which like the Endeavour, was a remarkable ship with a extraordinary crew.
After sailing through the night across the Golfo Corcovada we made our way through the Canal Moraleda south of the Parque Natcional Isla Magdalena to the Cinco Hermanos islands which are near the entrance of the Fiordo Aisen. To the east rise the majestic, snow-covered mountains, the highest being Co Macá – approximately 9000 feet. The snow line reaches down to about 2000 feet and a layer of clouds obscured the tops of all the peaks.
We were kind to the guests this morning, allowing them to sleep until 7 AM. Then after a leisurely breakfast we were off to explore the islands. Nearly half the guests decided to go kayaking and most of the rest went out in the Zodiacs for tours along the shore edge by the naturalists. The waters were calm and the silence of the morning was broken only by a bird song or the splash of the kayak oars.
The Zodiac explorers visited a salmon farm, hot springs and saw sea lions fishing.
The tide was nearly low, exposing dense beds of mussels, and a myriad of beautiful algal species many of which are common to our guests from the west coast of North America. Several river otters were spotted near the entrance of small streams, and Blue-eyed Shags and Blue and White Swallows followed the kayaks as they paddled around the islands, exploring the many coves and small beaches. Along the forest edges, the beautiful Notro (Embothrium coccineum) were in full bloom and those in the sunshine were coated with the Green-backed Firecrowns – the hummingbird jewels of this area. Our trip bird count is now in excess of 100 species most of them new to many of our life lists.
After weighing anchor about noon, we headed through the narrow straits between the Isla Rivero and the Reserve National Las Guaitecas, spending a leisurely afternoon enjoying the scenery, visiting the ship’s bridge, watching for whales and identifying seabirds, catching up reading the many books in the library and learning about the wines of Chile. Late in the afternoon, we enjoyed our first of several wine tastings before the ship hit the open waters off the Peninsula de Traitao.
Of the 5100 islands that dot these waters, fewer than 100 are inhabited. As we sail through these waters in the comfort of the Endeavour, we are constantly reminded of the treks of such early explorers as Charles Darwin and Captain Robert Fitzroy who spent two years exploring these waters in the less luxurious, 90 foot long, wooden HMS Beagle which like the Endeavour, was a remarkable ship with a extraordinary crew.
