As we approached the leeward side of East Falkland Island in the middle of the night under a full moon, the seas calmed to a mild roll. A spectacular sunrise greeted us as we pulled into the Stanley Harbor. The town of Stanley located a short distance from the harbor was established in early 1840s for its supply of peat and fresh water supplies. Today this capital town has most of the 2,500 permanent residents and consists of colorful homes along the shoreline.
We boarded buses for an expert tour with comical commentary covering the island’s history and modern tourism sights. Christ Church Cathedral is the southern most cathedral in the world and has a blue whale jawbone structure adjacent. Other stops included the 1982 Liberation Monument as a memorial from the Argentine and British war, the Stanley Museum which has great historic displays and also the appointed Governors House.
In the afternoon we had choices: further explore the town, hike up Mt. Tumbledown or a wildlife walk around Gypsy Cove. The latter was a great opportunity to see some of the endemic birds like the flightless steamer duck and Cobb’s wren. The highlight was certainly watching the Magellanic penguins on the white sand beach and sometimes closer. This evening we set sail heading west to another day of adventure and exploration of the Falkland Islands.
