Chapter 7 – 30th December – 1st January – Happy New Year from Sea lion Island

Chapter 7 – 30th December – 1st January – Happy New Year from Sea lion Island

Happy New Year from the southernmost inhabited island in the Falklands. Sea lion Island has a wildlife lodge, an old farmhouse and a few other outhouses. We are staying in the former and the staff occupy some buildings and the Elephant Seal Research team occupy some more. Between everyone there are 40 or so people living here.

After the off road excitement of Volunteer’s point, Sunday 30th was a quiet day around Stanley. We did go for a walk but it didn’t really go to plan and it was more a rest and recover day. New year’s eve was our departure to the Island.

Two planes changing passengers at Sealion

Our flight times were confirmed by FIGAS (Falkland Island Government Air Service) on the Sunday afternoon – with all the passenger manifests and times being posted on their facebook page. It will be the same for our return flight on Thursday – these will be posted sometime on Wednesday afternoon and we will then know when we leave the lodge – it could be around 10am or it could be the afternoon. It depends on who needs to get where on the day and how fat we are as all the weight needing shifting is considered. 

The flight out was actually a joy. We checked in at Stanley’s own airport. We were treated by a friendly gent in a room not much larger than my living room. Our bags were weighed, then we were weighed. Fortunately only baggage has weight limits! We were over and it cost me an extra £11 to get my wine stash across here. All our bags (no hand luggage) were collected by the baggage team (who are also the airport fire brigade). They were warned to take care of my fragile cargo. We were then escorted to our private plane by the pilot. This had only 5 passenger seats as it doubles as fisheries patrol (other planes had 9 seats). Tomos got to sit in the copilot’s seat. It was low level flying for thirty minutes or so over sea but close to the coast. We landed very smoothly on the gravel strip and within 50M were parked up and met by Micky who runs the lodge now (it was originally built and opened by Andrea’s father in the late 1980s). There was a complete changeover due on the day and we were plane one of five. The Clausens were five minutes behind us on flight 2. The welcoming wilderness lodge was a 100M stroll away and Micky took our bags by land rover. We were welcomed by coffee and cakes we then went off to explore.

Chillin Elephant Seals

Right by the lodge is a Gentoo penguin colony and close by Magellanic penguins had their burrows. All were busy brooding or tending to the young with a regular to and fro to the sea for fishing. We took plenty of photos and then headed to one of the beaches. Breeding season for Elephant seals is now over and so adolescents and males remain to chill out and  sunbathe. As they are not fighting seriously at this time it also means we are fairly safe to get quite close. There are hundreds of these giants on many of the beaches here.

Male Southern Sealion

After a hot lunch in the lodge we headed out again. The 31st was summer in Sea lion Island and plenty of sunblock and water was needed. We saw lots of bird life around the ponds and then headed to the cliffs via the Tussac grass jungle to see the massive Southern Sea lions from a respectful distance. We took care in the grasses in case any were waiting there. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of a Sea lion – they are not the little cuddly ones that balance balls on their heads!

We returned to the lodge for our New Year’s eve dinner – that included fillet steak so opportunities for stealing leftovers was limited. After dinner we had a short visit to the beach to look out for Orca. But we soon gave up – it was getting cold again. We managed a respectful 11pm before bed having enjoyed sometime in the well-stocked honesty bar. I think my tab is running high. Nobody saw in the new year and nobody cared. Sleep was deep and sound and we had no neighbours fighting in the streets out here.

New Year’s day started with a simple breakfast (chef was still in bed after the staff party that went on all night). They work hard and we didn’t begrudge them an easier day. I think they went to bed after our breakfast as we all had to take a packed lunch today. Let’s hope they are recovered in time for dinner. 

Caracara - attacks from the skies

Crèche of Rockhopper Chicks

After breakfast we headed off in Micky’s land rover to the far end of the island to see the Rockhopper colony. Today was bloody cold and windy. The sea very rough and it was amazing to see the route these little guys take up from the sea – basically getting bashed around in the waves until they managed to catch the right wave to get them on a cliff edge then work up the 100 feet or so. Most parents were out fishing and the chicks have started to form crèches – bundled together for warmth. Some parents hang around for protection and rock cormorants also live among them quote happily cohabiting at this time of year.

We then split up Andrea, Gus, Sarah and Tomos walking the windswept coast. I magnanimously volunteered to drive the landrover (and bored kids) around to a meeting point. Tomos got mugged by three Caracara birds and had to defend himself with his backpack. He saw the funny side eventually. 

Supplies by boat arrive here...

We had our lunch in the “Gulch”. This is a small natural inlet which has a jetty for supplies to be delivered. It is hidden in the tussac grass and a ramp has been built. All our non fresh food and supplies come in this way. After lunch the weather got worse (hail) and we headed back to the lodge for a cuppa and a snooze. I also started typing this. The others headed out again. I didn’t and it was good move as the only new thing seen was a baby penguin get killed by a skua (predatory bird).

Nature in action.

Skua’s Dinnertime