Tierra del Fuego 2015

On my way to the Tierra del Fuego made a stop at Hacienda San Gregorio, once owned by Jose Menendez who was considered at one time, the richest man in South America during the late XIX and early XX centuries.   The main reason for the stop was that there are Magellan Owls who lives in the old trees surrounding the old mansion.  If you go back in my blogs of 2013, you can see a more extensive collection of the abandoned buildings once thriving hacienda.  We searched for the owls and were about to leave when once was spotted.  It was so well camouflaged that we almost missed it, we were searching for them high on the trees, but were much lower, could have grabbed it by hand…but who wants to tangle with those talons.

After crossing by ferry the Straits of Magellan’s from Punta Delgada, arrived at Puerto Espora in the Tierra del Fuego.   Drove to Porvenir, arriving at the hotel just in time for a bottle of wine and choice beef. The next day departed early for the King Penguins colony in Bahia Inutil. The wind was strong and the skies overcasted with intermittent rains, typical weather for this part of the world.  One peculiar behavior that I observed of the penguins, was that they appear to play with the foam accumulated on the shoreline.  They will stick their bills on the foam and lift it to see it been blown away by the wind.  It was like children blowing soap bubbles.   After a while they just walked over the sand dunes to the colony.  There were a few “pinguinitos”, they looked like brown cotton balls with a beak and wings, and the center of attention of the colony; always next to their mother and surrounded by adults, some of them pecking at the small ones.

We were invited for lunch to a sheep hacienda.  After lunch, we sat around the fire in the living room listening to tales of the way of life of the original settlers, while the lady of the house made carded the sheep’s wool.  She processed the wool into threads and then made clothing and hats for the family.  Then we returned to the pinguinera for the late afternoon photo session.  While leaving the beach that morning, I saw a sick Magellan Penguin just hiding next to a pile of seaweeds, when we returned in the afternoon, all that was left was a carcass, the skuas wasted no time.  Though posting this image but will pass. Penguins like selfies too.

We spent the night back in Porvenir and the next day started to Punta Arenas by backtracking the way we came. When we got to Puerto Espora, the ferries were not navigating because of the heavy winds in the strait.  We were advised to return to Porvenir and take the ferry from there to Punta Arenas but by the time we got back, the Chilean Navy has closed navigation of the larger ferry too due to the heavy winds.  So we had to wait until 5 PM when navigation was permitted.  Why did we initially want to go back via the way we came?  We were planning to stop again in the way at the Hacienda San Geronimo to photograph particularly the old shipwrecks on the beach and check the owls one more time.  The action of the waves has further broken the hulls of the rusted ships and I wanted to have images to compare to those I took 1.5 years earlier.

While waiting for the ferry to depart, I ventured around Porvenir to photograph the old houses and visit the local museum, a worthwhile visit.  There is an interesting mural at the museum that tells the story of a famous British hunter of Selknam or Ona Indians who inhabited Tierra del Fuego.  Back in the late 1880’s there were wars between the Indians and the colonizers.  The Indians considered the sheep no different than guanacos and hunted them.  This caused the sheep farmers to start hunting the Indians but there were also conflicts with the gold miners.  Julius Popper, the developer of the gold mines started to pay for killing the Indians. So there was a bounty and the hunters were paid according to the number of pairs of ears or hands and later on, the heads that were brought for payment.

The museum houses a large collection of birds as well as whale skeletons and a mummy of a woman named Kela that was found in the island of 3 Mogotes in 1974; it was carbon dated approximately back to 1424.  There is also a reproduction of an old store circa 1900’s.  On the grounds there is an observatory named Mercury, but could not figure out its background.

Porvenir is an interesting place.  During my previous visit I gave its beach the title of the most polluted one in the world; I may have embarrassed the citizens, beach now is cleaner.  In a way, the city was no different than those out west in the USA that grew when the gold mines were found.  Once the gold was exhausted, their heydays were done.  The city was at one time the Hollywood of Chile where the first movie was made.  The first image below is the Red Cross building and the second is the home childhood home of Vicente Gonzalez Mimica, a prominent photographer now based in Punta Arenas.  One of the rewards of travel, are the people you meet.  During the ferry crossing to Punta Arenas met a British motorcyclist that was in his seventh year of traveling around the world…now that is an adventure!!!

Punta Arenas, Chile

I have visited many cities but this one has a particular appeal.  It brings memories of the cities where I grew up back in the mid 50's.  Since my first visit in 2004, the sleepy town with a faded golden age, is flourishing again, yet preserving its XIX and early XX century's charms.  It has the distinction to be the largest city affected by the "ozone hole" allowing ultraviolet light to pass thru the atmosphere causing high incidence of skin cancers and cataracts.

Punta Arenas as her sister Ushuaia, in Argentina have a similar origin as penal colonies back in the early 1800's.  Both cities outgrew that origin and became outpost for immigrants for the development of Patagonia.  

 

Fabulous fortunes emerged and among the most prominent, are those of the Braun and the Menendez families, whose holdings extended both through Argentina and Chile. The source of the wealth created were wool, minerals and lumber. Images of the Menendez/Braun Chateau are above showing the luxuries available to the lucky residents.

The City served as the point of departures of various explorers of Patagonia such as Lady Florence Dixie, whose diary (book Across Patagonia, 1880) described the old ways and visit to the Needles of Cleopatra.  She was probably the first European who described this geological formation presently known as the Horns of the Devil in Torres del Paine National Park.

The opening of the Canal of Panama was a blow to the economy of Punta Arena since prior to the canal, all shipping lanes between the eastern and western ports of the USA had to navigate to the Straits of Mallegans.  The city was strategically located and served as source to resupply and repair the ships navigating these treacherous waters, the biggest Chilean shipyard still survives here.

The Magellan's Straits has the notoriety of having one of the largest numbers of shipwrecks among the oceanic routes. As a consequence, a major ship building and repair industry emerged here that is still vibrant today.

Walking along the streets, one encounters colorful houses, graffiti, gardens, monuments and murals in such abundance and exotic colors, that I venture to say, are not found anywhere else. You be the judge.

No matter where you go, you are been watched by curious eyes out of windows or self-made peep holes in doors.  Dogs are numerous transients that along with pedestrians seem to share the streets as well as local transport.  I was amazed to be in a local bus and see one board it without objections by the driver or the requirement of a fare.  

The island of Magdalena is easily accessible via daily tours available at various tourist offices.  It is the home of one of the largest Magellan penguins in South America.  It is also the home of one of the many abandoned lighthouses along the Patagonian coast.

Patagonia is finally being discovered by global tourism with the resulting commercial development resulting in spoiling those natural attractions that brings the people in the first place.  No better example that what is happening in Calafate and Perito Moreno in Argentina.  So far, Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine in Chile, has escaped that massive development but is coming.   Another book of interest describing the area around Ushuaia is that of E. Lucas Bridges, The Uttermost Part of the Earth.

The Fitzroy Expedition along the Magellan Straits.

This 8-days seagoing expedition, along the islands of the straits of Magellans, rates among my 3 top adventures of my last 20 years.  It reminded me of my sailing passage of the Galapagos Islands.  They shared navigation among the islands, the tameness of exotic animals found there; but this adventure provided the thrill (or illusion) of being in places never seen by humans before.

Once out of the Straits of Magellans proper, we never saw another boat of signs of human activity. Imagine walking around nameless glaciers and navigating along uncharted narrow channels not knowing if they let to an outlet or a dead end.
                                               

Every couple of days or so, the vessel will approach a stream coming off the mountains to refill its bilges with the pristine water running from the melting glaciers. The crew will land with a water pump connected by a hose to the ship bilgesmto replenish the water supply, so clean that not additional treatment was necessary.  During some of these occasions, we went ashore and walked through enchanted forests that had not known the sound of a chopping ax. 

The landings provided outstanding photo opportunities of glaciers, geological formations and marine animals that came ashore to rest.  On one occasion, after landing, safety gear and photo equipment were laid on the beach at what appeared a safe distance from the waves. A small tsunami arrived causing despair among the photographers who rushed to rescue their gear. 

I had the opportunity to photograph King Penguins and Elephant Seals for the first time.  The King penguins just ignored us and in occasions, they were the ones approaching us. I also got shots of Rock Hopper Penguins and of the elusive Giant Kingfisher.

                                                

I was amazed at the huge size of the elephant seals and their disdain for the close proximity of humans; they just followed our movements and snorted at us when approached to close.

Most of the participants of this expedition were photographers, among them, some of the top wildlife professionals from Argentina and Chile; I was the only outlier there.  There were also a naturalist guide, a filming team from Chile, as well as the vessels' crew. 

During navigation time, the photographers shared their images and gave informal lessons on basic photo equipment, and Photoshop CS5 techniques.  As for the first image above, where else have you seen a professional photographer providing photo tips to an attentive audience aboard an inflatable boat in frigid waters? Or what about such an awkward position to take a photo; only possible in the southern hemisphere where everything is upside down.

Often while navigating among the channels we ran into whales, orcas, dolphins and sea lions offering great photo opportunities.  In particular, the breaching of aquatic mammals was a challenging activity to capture.  It appeared that I was always in the wrong side of the ship; when a whale breached, all I could catch was the huge splash of water created as they hit the water, but as consolation I got a few images.

The M/V Forrest was a cargo ship recently converted to an adventure vessel capable of carrying about 20 travelers in comfort.  The relaxed environment of the voyage was the results of a highly trained crew whose first duty was safety followed by friendliness, impeccable service.

What about the food?  Well, I have been in luxurious ocean going cruises and honestly, the freshness and gourmet quality offered here, exceeded all others.  Three full courses were served daily, with the option of ordering items other that the regular offerings. All was included in the price of the cruise.  I was not even charged for the pound /day I gained during the cruise

 We were all the best friends of the galley's Master; who could resist such an incentive?  If interested in getting more information regarding this extraordinary ocean going safari go to http://www.patagoniaphotosafaris.com/mn-forrest-en.html