South American Journey - Day 6

Friday we stopped in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. We then boarded a bus and drove two and a half hours south to Punto Tombo to a nature preserve that is dedicated to the preservation of a breeding ground of Magellan Penguins.

This one was one of Charlotte's favorites because he paid attention to her. I guess you can say they connected! She called him Pancho.

The penguins usually arrive in early September and leave in early March. At the height of the season their will be as many as two million penguins. We arrived at the end of the season and many had left but there were still several thousand penguins.

The Magellan Penguins are different from their cousins the Emperor Penguins found in Antarctica that grow to three feet. Theses grow to an average of eighteen inches. They spend the majority of the year swimming the waters off the coast of South America eating their favorite food, anchovies.

From one observation point we saw hundreds of penguins lined up on the beach with many others frolicking in the water. It reminds me of being on the beach on the 4th of July.

After a long day of traveling to see penguins, we returned to the ship to sail to points South. The sunset that evening was spectacular. Tomorrow we make it to Cape Horn, the southern most tip of South America. Approximately 500 miles from Antarctica. That is pretty close to the bottom of the world!

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it,

The world and all who live in it;

For he founded it upon the seas

And established it upon the waters.

Psalm 25:1-2