Parque La Tapera, Aysén, Chilean Fjords, 11/2/2024, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Patagonia
Today we were privileged to have been granted permission to visit La Tapera Park, a private, protected area. Owned by a Chilean family, this park is open to people with an interest in nature, and being so remote, access is complicated to say the least. We were the first expedition ship to ever visit the area, and thanks to the incredible skills of Captain Heidi Norling and the bridge team, we crossed into the previously uncharted waters, only recently covered by a glacier. We sailed close to land where no ship had ever been before!
An ornithologist, photographer, fisherman, climber, and writer, Santiago Imberti was born and raised in southern Patagonia, Argentina. He obtained a degree in tourism and later in ornithology, which allowed him to combine his love for nature and the ...
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The forecast for high winds overnight was accurate, giving the ship some movement while we slept. We awoke to high wind gusts and rain squalls, creating some awesome conditions with views of the mountains surrounding us, small rainbows, and hundreds of seabirds soaring amongst the waves. We stayed on the ship for the morning, enjoying a smartphone photography presentation in the lounge, followed by a delicious brunch feast in the dining room. After brunch, we were treated to a presentation by Naturalist Sue Quinlan, imparting wisdom about the flora and fauna of the forests in Patagonia. The weather soon relaxed enough to allow us to go ashore for some afternoon hiking and exploring. The different hikes went into the forest and along the beach where we saw birds, whalebones, various plants, and marine life as the tide went out. We were welcomed back to the ship with a tasty treat from the galley and some local Patagonia beer tasting with the bartenders, followed by cocktail hour and recap of the day by our expedition team.
Buses transported us from the dock in Aysen to three different hiking sites in this region. Snowy mountaintops surrounded a spring landscape glowing in shades of green. Brilliant kelly-green grasses flourished in cleared pastures that intermixed with hunter-green pine plantations and hillsides of native southern beech forests which glittered in hues of emerald and jade. Scattered splashes of bright red revealed a plethora of blooming firebush trees, while other trees and shrubs had boughs decked in white blossoms. Three destinations for hiking were offered: Coyhaique National Reserve, Aysen Valley, and Aiken del Sur. Along some trails, we encountered enchanted forests of sixty-foot-tall southern beech trees draped with haunting billows of usnea lichens. Sharp-eyed flower watchers noted the colorful blooms of calafate, wild current, orchids, lady slippers, and oxalis. Magellanic woodpeckers, Andean condors, and various caracaras were among the birds we saw. After the hikes, we enjoyed a typical Patagonian barbecue, known as an asado. Freshly barbecued mutton with potatoes, vegetables, calafate drinks, and local red wine were served along with a festive dance performance and live music.
