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| View from the aircraft |
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| Tierra Del Fuego, Bahia Inútil |
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| Colony of King Penguins |
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| Two King Penguins, possibly nesting |
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| More of them |
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| Our crazy wind gear |
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| Shore of Bahia Inútil |
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| Flat wind-swept steppes of Tierra Del Fuego |
On board Sky Airlines we flew from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas, the southern most city of Chile. The plan ride was a breeze. The aircraft flew so low we were able to take in the superb landscapes of southern Chile. Soon we would reach the southern most tip of the world. It wasn't Ushuaia but it was the closest we would get to it. For anyone who is wondering why Punta Arenas? The answer is -- King Penguins. These magnificent birds, second largest only to the Emperor Penguins, are usually only found in subantartic islands such as South Georgia and Falklands. However, in recent years, a new colony has established in Chile at Tierra Del Fuego on Bahia Inutil, and the only way to get there is by booking a tour from Punta Arenas. This was a once in lifetime opportunity that we couldn't pass up. As soon as we arrived, we booked a tour for Saturday. That day, we ferried for two and half hours across the mythic waters of Straits of Magellan, drove over five hours through the flat wind-swept steppes of Tierra Del Fuego, until we arrived at Bahia Inutil. There we saw them for the first time; tall, beautiful and majestic. We couldn't get too close, and were instructed by our guide to kneel on our knees so our presence wouldn't scare them away. The wind was strong. It was nearly impossible to keep the camera steady but none of that mattered to us. For those precious fifteen minutes, we kneeled in silence observing the whimsical nature of these beautiful birds.
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