Penguin overload??

[Peregrina651]

There are penguin rookeries to be seen at Puerto Madryn, Falkland Islands, Ushuaia and Punta Arenas (well at least on the itinerary that we are doing). There are plenty of reviews talking about how cool the visits are to the rookeries (and really I am looking forward to seeing them in person) but hardly anyone talks about the down-sides and the stuff they didn't like or about making the wrong choices. Or about seeing penguins to the exclusion of everything else.

 

What I would like to hear from those who have already done the cruiseis some discussion of how many different rookeries you went to and some critique of your own decisions about which rookeries to see? In other words, having done the trip once, what would you have done differently? Less rookeries, different tour company, more rookeries, etc.? What would have you done instead? And if you liked your choices, say why.

 

Did you take the shorex or did you go on your own (pre-planned private tour, grabbed a cab on the dock)? Was that a good choice or bad? Which tour company did you use.

 

Thank you all in advance,

Andrea

 

[Crown Prince]

Great topic and excellent questions.

 

I am wondering the same. I have been studying the Penguins and very excited about visiting with them.

 

We go next year about the same time. ;)

 

I look forward to learning from fellow cruisers.l :D

[Gixer]

There are different types of penguins in different places. Some people really want to see Rockhoppers, other want to see Kings, it pays to do your research, your unlikley to see Breeding Kings anywhere else other than the Falklands on your cruise, unless you go to South Georgia.

 

All penguins are not the same ;)

[Peregrina651]

Darn it, Gixer --

 

Now you are hooked.

 

Seeing that you are from the Falkland Islands, we would love to hear more about the penguins and the rookeries to be found there -- from a local perspective-- the stuff that doesn't make it into the tour descriptions and the guide books. We are even bold enough to ask where you would take visitors who want to see penguins yet avoid the busload tourist scene.

 

We are going to assume that you have been to the rookeries (yes, I know, a big assumption--like assuming that every Philadelphian has seen the Liberty Bell). What is your favorite part of going there? Which is your favorite and why? Do you have any off the wall advice for first-timers and tourists?

 

One area you might be able to shed some light for us is for those people with mobility problems. The more specific you can be about terrain and obstacles the more helpful it would be. The tour brochures really don't get into specifics.

 

Other folks on CC have suggested that the only way to see the Gentoo and King penguins is with the ship's excursions because they have exclusive access to those rookeries. Can you speak to this issue at all? Are Bluff Cove and the King penguin rookeries actually closed to all but the cruise ship tours?

 

We sure would appreciate hearing what you have to say about visiting the rookeries in the Port Stanley area and thank you in advance for your willingness to answer our questions.

 

 

[Gixer]

If you look down the page a bit there is thread with tons of info/photos about tours and penguins in the Falklands :)

 

My favourite penguin viewing area is without doubt Volunteer point. Its something very few people in the world ever get to see, it is wilderness and nature at its best. Dont expect cafes/shops/roads at Volunteer point (although there are basic toilet facilites) It will take almost 2 hours to reach the colony, an hour on pretty decent track and then a very bumpy hour overland in a 4x4. People with walking difficulties would be fine on this trip as your vehicle will park right by the penguins, you will have only a 50 yard walk to the breeding site, and the terrain isnt all that rough. If you have back or neck problems though then it might not be the best excursion.

 

I would always recommend going to Volunteer with a private local guide and I would book one ASAP as they fill up quickly. A private guide will get you there ahead of the crowds and will fill you in on local history etc along the way. This excursion doesnt come cheap, it will probably run you $200 per person, but if its penguins you want to see then there is no place better - second largest breeding colony of kings in the world, plus a large colony of Gentoos and loads of megallanics.

[Peregrina651]

Gixer --

 

Thank you very much for the inside scoop.

 

For an in-depth and ongoing discussion, here is the link to the thread that Gixer mentions. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=591815

 

There is so much information there that it is going to take me a few days to absorb it all.

 

[Crown Prince]

Hi, Andrea,

 

Gixer is a world of information. Some of us have read all of that thread for many months now.

I recommend this book because it tells all about the different penguins, where they live, and has wonderful photos.

I bought it on Amazon and was much cheaper than in the furniture store that I first saw it in.

 

"Penguins: Lifestyle - Habitat - Feeding - Behavior"

by Daniel Gilpin; Hardcover; $5.90

[Peregrina651]

CP--

 

This will tell you a bit about the state of my brain. My first reaction to your book suggestion was, "Oh, gee, I wonder if I can get it on audio." My second reaction was to immediately share the idea with my roll-call.

 

Still, we are not getting an answer to the question originally posed--penguin overload and bad choices. Can't I entice anyone to talk about the downsides??

[Gixer]

Hi Andrea,

 

I know I am biased, but even so I really think the very best penguin experience to be had on your cruise would be at Volunteer point here in the Falklands. I have been to Punta and it just doesnt compare. Im sure there must be heaps of other stuff that doesnt involve penguins in Ushuia? One thing I would recommend you look into though is an alternative penguin viewing oppertunity other than one here in the Falklands as a ''just incase'' because if the seas are rough you might not be able to make it ashore. I think we had a total of 5 ships not being able to tender passangers ashore this season :(

[Peregrina651]

Hi Andrea,

 

One thing I would recommend you look into though is an alternative penguin viewing oppertunity other than one here in the Falklands as a ''just incase'' because if the seas are rough you might not be able to make it ashore. I think we had a total of 5 ships not being able to tender passangers ashore this season :(

 

Right, I had heard that and so I am preparing. I guess the second best choice would be Punta Tombo but I have to really read some of the other threads.

[auntdot]

One thing I would recommend you look into though is an alternative penguin viewing oppertunity other than one here in the Falklands as a ''just incase'' because if the seas are rough you might not be able to make it ashore. I think we had a total of 5 ships not being able to tender passangers ashore this season :(

 

This is 'good news', Gixer! From some of the threads I have read it sounded like many ships had missed Port Stanley due to weather. If it's only '5' (out of how many in a season?) I will still feel like the odds are in our favour! We are booked to go to Volunteer Point and can hardly wait!

 

Thanks for all your great info!

Dot

 

PS Do you still need magnets????

:D

[Peregrina651]

From some of the threads I have read it sounded like many ships had missed Port Stanley due to weather. If it's only '5' (out of how many in a season?) I will still feel like the odds are in our favour!

:D

 

I guess that when 5 people each from 5 different cruises report that their ship missed the port we assume 25 ships rather than thinking that maybe some of them could be on the same ship.

 

I tried to look up how many ships call in Port Stanley but CruiseCal.com is now a subscription services.

 

Gixer, how many cruise ships a year do you get on average?

[Gixer]

It definatley wasnt 25 ships, I think it was 5 at most, maybe a few more but not as many as 25. The season runs from October to April so the odds are well in your favour that you will make it ashore. I will do some phoning around tomorrow and find out the exact number of ships we had in this year and how many had to skip due to weather/seas.

 

Ohhh my gosh Dot! NO! please! no more magnets!!!! It was a lovely idea and I am so grateful to all who brought me one but I am now have magnets all over the fridge, washer, drier, freezer etc!!! :D

[auntdot]

I tried to look up how many ships call in Port Stanley but CruiseCal.com is now a subscription services.

 

Hi Peregrina,

 

I just did a quick search on a cruise travel website for cruises with a stop at Port Stanley. For next season it looks like about 50+ . So odds are still good, I'd say!! Maybe Gixer will be able to give us actual numbers from this season.

 

Dot

 

PS Looks like Norwegian Sun is there the same day as Infinity (but I know on our cruise we arrive much earlier)

[Peregrina651]

This is all good information but I really would like to get back to the my original question--which no one has spoken about yet:

 

but hardly anyone talks about the down-sides and the stuff they didn't like or about making the wrong choices. Or about seeing penguins to the exclusion of everything else.

 

What I would like to hear from those who have already done the cruiseis some discussion of how many different rookeries you went to and some critique of your own decisions about which rookeries to see? In other words, having done the trip once, what would you have done differently? Less rookeries, different tour company, more rookeries, etc.? What would have you done instead? And if you liked your choices, say why.

 

Did you take the shorex or did you go on your own (pre-planned private tour, grabbed a cab on the dock)? Was that a good choice or bad? Which tour company did you use.

[makai 7]

We did the Rio-Valpariaso cruise on the Rotterdam March 3-19. We only planned one "penguin" excursion.

 

Depending on what time of year you go, there may not be penguins everywhere. They start to migrate in late February/early March.

 

We went to Volunteer Point with Patrick Watts. This was by far one of the best excursions/best experiences on a very memorable trip! I would do it again- even with the 2 1/2 hour drive in each direction. You have to be able to handle getting 'thrown' around in the vehicle- they are not kidding when they say most of the drive is off-road! You are driving on tracks through the peat bogs.

 

It was worth every penny, and well worth the drive in each direction. It was much better to go private (Patrick) than to go with the ship excursion. It cost less, we arrived before they did, and we left after they did, so we had more time with fewer people around! This was pre-arranged via email.

We got incredible photos, and had a wonderful day.

 

We chose this excursion because it was an opportunity to be 'among' the penguins, not viewing them thru a fence, a chance to see 3 different kinds (gentoo, magellenic, and King penguins), expected to be less crowded (this is not a tour for people with physical limitations!), and the time of year (many places they penguins would already have started their migration).

 

Every tour goes to the same location at Volunteer point, so there is nothing different about the ship vs. private tour except the cost.

 

Since we didn't go to any other rookeries, I can't speak to penguin overload. We chose to do other things at other ports.

 

I hope that helps!

[epiala]

Hi,

 

Have to agree with Gixer and Makai 7, Volunteer Point with Patrick Watts was by far the highlight of our entire trip. A close second was Magadelena Island at Punta Arenas. We were penguined out so we decided to go see the Elephant Seals in Puerto Madryn instead of Punta Tombo but we were quite disappointed and even with all of the penguin tours already taken would have probably enjoyed Punta Tombo more. There is nothing cuter than seeing a penguin and in my opinioin there is no way you can get tired of them.

[Peregrina651]

We were penguined out so we decided to go see the Elephant Seals in Puerto Madryn instead of Punta Tombo but we were quite disappointed

 

Epiala --

 

First, thank you for your post-- and for your candor.

 

If you don't mind my asking, can you explain more about the circumstances and why you were disappointed? When did you sail? Were you on a shorex or with a private guide? Would a different guide have made a difference? Do you think that you would have felt differently about the your choice if you had not yet seen the penguins? Did others on your tour share your disappointment?

 

I have to admit that I am torn over what to do at Puerto Madryn -- Valdes, Punto Tombo or something entirely different. That is one reason that I am hoping that you will talk more about your experience.

 

Again, thank you.

 

 

 

[epiala]

Hi Peregrina651,

 

We went with Huinca Travel. Overall they did a good job. I do think that it helped that my husband speaks Spanish as sometimes the communication was a little awkward in English. We were a large group of 25 and all of us were supposed to go Punta Tomba. About half of us also did the Magadelena Island tour with Turismo Neuvo Mundo and Volunteer Point with Patrick Watts (amazing!!!!) so we all thought it would be better to see the elephant seals. Unfortunately in November most of the seals (especially the males with the large trunks) are already gone and the distance between us and them is quite far comparative to the penguins. My whole group was disappointed not so much because the tour/tour operator but because it didn't even come close to our other tours where you were literally right next to the penguins.

 

Another thing that I wish I had known is that in the end of November/beginning of December, penguin babies have already hatched in Puerto Madryn but are still in the eggs in Punta Arenas. We did see a few babies on the way to Valdez and even sadder a few moms still hovering eggs that will never hatch. However, those that decided to stick with Punta Tomba had so many stories and beautiful pictures of the babies and were extremely satisfied with the tour.

 

I have to tell you that if I were to do this itinerary again, and I may as I love traveling to South America, I wouldn't change a thing except maybe going to Punta Tombo. I cannot say it enough that Volunteer Point is the BEST excursion, Patrick Watts is wonderful, and the price is almost half that of the ship but as Gixer said it sells out fast.

 

I can send you some pictures from each of the ports so that you can see what I mean regarding the proximity of the wildlife. If you are interested email me at elancet@yahoo.com.

[Jeff&Liz]

Peregrina651 - how do you find out what ships will be in port on a particular day?

 

Liz

[Peregrina651]

Epiala -- Thank you so much for your answers. No wonder you were disappointed, if you went to see elephants seals that weren't there. We will be there in January, so I guess we won't be going to the Valdes Peninsula.

[Peregrina651]

Liz -- I used to use cruise-cal.com but they now seem to be a subscription service. auntdot just told me about another site called www.porttime.com/home.cfm. There might be other websites doing the same thing. Hope this helps.

[Jeff&Liz]

Thanks Peregrina651 (and auntdot) for the info. That site works great. Ushuaia is going to be crowded the day we are there! And 2 ships in Punta Arenas so good thing we are planning on the ship tour to Magdelena too.

 

Liz

[cruisin'grandparents]

Hi Peregrina651

 

We cruised with Norwegian in 2001 and at Punta Arenas saw magellanic penquins and could walk along paths in the middle of them. We went in the morning and apparently not so many penguins in the afternoon so morning definitely better, was told penguins go out looking for food in afternoon. Definitely would visit this area again. Went on boat ride in Ushaia and saw penguins but would not do that again. Both excursions were thru NCL.

 

Actually going back in February 2009 on Princesss so looking for penguins again this time, they are just fascinating to watch. Didn't get to Falklands as bad weather so keeping our fingers crossed this time.

 

Hope this answers part of your question.

[tgetz]

I have seen many people on various sites refer to patrick Watts as a great tour guide for volunteer Point. How canwe find him? We want to book him for a private tour for our December cruise on HAL. what is the name of him comapny.thanks