A sunny and warm morning welcomed us to Grave Cove, named after the burials of sealers and whalers. Upon landing on a white sandy stretch, groups of charismatic gentoo penguins and chicks greeted us as they walked up and down the beach.
We admired the rocky outcrops that peak on the hills as we walked across the landscape. No one expected to find yet another beautiful beach at the end of the path! The sea was dotted with a pod of Commerson’s dolphins surfing the waves. They were a joy to watch!
Our last landing of the voyage took place at West Point. Some of us took advantage of the full terrain vehicles arranged for our use. Our ice pilot Fred and Dr. Jeff drove some of us to observe spectacular colonies of black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. We waded through the tussock grasses until we found the perfect vantage point. From there, we observed, listened and immersed ourselves in the activity of the colony. Other guests chose to walk across the island to view this colony from the edge of the cliffs, a site known as the Devil’s Nose. Aside from fantastic views of the cliffs, we all appreciated the impressive size of the adult albatrosses in flight.
At the end of the afternoon, we walked back across West Point. We were ready to embark on National Geographic Explorer one last time, even as we were already treasuring the memories and experiences from our visit to the Falkland Islands.
