Punta Arenas

Friday, 1/25

Temperature today 59 degrees.  60 mile an hour wind on Otway Bay. We departed from the pier through the city of Punta Arenas (translation- "Sandy Point") driving northwest, following the road that leads toward a huge sheep farm before Otway Bay.  Located on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas was originally established in 1848 as a tiny penal colony.  The city was officially renamed Magallanes for Ferdinand Magellan in 1927, the Portuguese explorer who, while circumnavigating the earth for Spain, passed close to the present site of Punta Arenas in 1520.  It was changed back to Punta Arenas in 1938.

We continued skirting Otway Bay until we arrived where the Magellan penguins live and nest. We walked for one mile over a wooden path to reach a penguin rookery. It was a real challenge to walk into the wind, but well worth the adventure.  Later we stopped in the town of Puerto Arenas before returning to the ship by tender.  Sailing out at 5:30 pm.

Pictured below-

• Memorial to Ferdinand Magellan in Punta Arenas

• The Magellan penguins

• Enjoying the penguin adventure