The Schwabs Go South: Dec. 13 - Back to the Stella

About this blog . . . .

In the introduction to his book, PATAGONIA - At the Bottom of the World, Dick Lutz wrote: "Patagonia is a region, not a country. It spans the southern third of Chile and Argentina, stretching between the Pacific and the Atlantic roughly from Puerto Montt, Chile and Peninsula Valdes, Argentina south [until] it meets the famous waterways of the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, and Drake Passage (or Drake Strait). The northern limit of Patagonia is ill-defined, while the border between Chile and Argentina divides the region." Patagonia is sparsely populated, so much so that in 1991 the Hudson volcano erupted and no human was injured, even though this eruption was larger than that of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.

Ivan and I have been eyeing this area for a visit for quite some time. The possibility is great that we will see penguins, guanacos, Steamer Ducks (Flightless as well as Flying!), as well as many dozens of other remarkable animals and birds, to say nothing of the insects, reptiles, mountains. I'd better stop here. Writing these blogs has been a source of much pleasure for me, so if you follow us on our trip, my hope is that you will learn something about this unusual place, and will have a bit of fun reading of our adventures and, in some cases, misadventures!

REMEMBER TO READ FROM THE BOTTOM UP! The latest post will be at the top of the page, with earlier posts below it.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Dec. 13 - Back to the Stella

On our way back to the Stella in the zodiac, we were delighted when our pilot took us over to an island on which several Southern, or South American, Sea Lions were roosting. These animals were huge! Of course, I've never actually been very close to a California Sea Lion, but the ones shown in the photos below seemed simply enormous! I apologize for the blurriness of the photos. We were bobbing up and down on the seas that were crashing into the rocks the sea lions were resting on, and I had not intended to take any photos, but something caught my attention on that rock. There was a bird of prey standing near the large sea lion at the top. I wasn't sure exactly what it was. Ivan and I knew it was not a skua based on the way it was standing, but we had not seen this bird before and we were flummoxed! When we returned, I sought out Carlos, the ship's bird person. He told me it was a Striated Caracara and they they hang out around the sea lions hoping for a crack at some afterbirth, or maybe even a newborn. So, these photos, bad as they are, are presented here as images of the one and only Striated Caracara we saw!