I totally missed telling you about the Peale’s Dolphins that approached our ship yesterday while we were parked in the bay at Punta Arenas! We were watching whales that were blowing too far away to see without binoculars, when one of the whales popped up a shorter distance away at the back of a cargo ship. We kept looking for it to come back up, when suddenly, what looked like small Orcas started jumping from the water, swimming straight for our ship! I knew they weren’t big enough to be killer whales, but what in the world were they?? They came so close we could see them even without the binoculars and I knew they were some sort of dolphin – later identified as Peale’s. They were having a great time playing and jumping, and we had a fantastic time watching them!!
Thursday was spent exploring more of the Chilean Fjords as we transited the Fallos Channel. All of the pictures I have posted to date have been from my Samsung S22 phone, which has a fantastic camera. But I have another camera with a better zoom that I have used as well. Apparently, nearly all of my picture taking that day was with the other camera, but I do have a few beautiful shots of sunset.
Friday morning, we arrived before 7:00 a.m. to the port of the tiny town of Puerto Chacabuco. Sunrise on the surrounding mountains was gorgeous, and clouds moved in shortly after.
The town prepared wonderfully for our cruise ship, with well-placed matting on the tender piers, covered walkways and several agriculture inspectors at the ready. Chile is very serious about not allowing foods – especially agricultural items – to be brought into the country, so we were well and repeatedly warned to leave all food on the ship or face hefty fines. We complied!
We did not have an excursion that day, so I walked about town and enjoyed the fresher than fresh air that seems to abound in Patagonia. A shuttle van took us to the “center of town”, which turned out to be just up the hill, where there were white, domed tents housing local artisans and their wares. The knitted sweaters, ponchos, scarves, and hats were so beautiful, but way too warm for wearing in my part of the world. The houses were mostly small, reminding me of some of the homes in remote parts of Alaska. Much of the siding was metal as opposed to wood. There was a large park with walkways and memorials, a few shops for local goods and groceries, and several restaurants. I took a few extra turns just to get some walking in for the day because the town was so small. But the people I met were kind and welcoming.
I’ve really enjoyed the various land and seabirds that I’ve never seen before. I always think of my woodcarving friend Allen Aardsma who carves and paints stunningly realistic critters. You can check out his work at Pondsidestudio.net. The Southern Lapwing posed for me here.
The Silver Seas ship was in port at the same time.
We left the beautiful port of Puerto Chacabuco about 4:00 p.m., and sailed back out into the Chilean Fjords, at some point turning to the northeast and allowing us to see another glorious sunset.
Two more stops, and our amazing voyage will be complete. I hope you are enjoying the beauty we have been able to share. Many blessings to you all.