Wreck on the beach

Google maps location.

The weather was a bit rough early but it calmed down for our landing on New Island.  The contours of the island were gentle enough on the eastern side where we landed and encountered this wreck on the beach.  Then we walked across to the other side of the island where there were steep cliffs, ravines and many wild birds.

This is one of the many rockhopper penguins who effortlessly present an appearance that young punks can only dream of.  Eugenia Skycarpet and Desmond the Decidedly Deranged were also here and you can see them on the next post, for West Point Island.

Some of the photographers from our expedition

Striated cara cara

Five of the sixteen photographers on our expedition are above, photographing penguins and albatrosses.

To the right is a striated cara cara, a small Falklands raptor.

We were in a huge colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatrosses that stretched a considerable distance up from the sea.  Cara caras and the occasional turkey vulture circled overhead.

One of the albatrosses is below, sitting on  a characteristic mud nest.  There were many young albatrosses here, stretching their wings and testing the wind in preparation for their first flight.

Black-browed albatross on nest

Rockhopper penguins bouncing along

You may like to watch this short video that shows why they are called rockhopper penguins.  They walk and they also jump.  They seem to gather at a rock until they think it’s safe to proceed, then all bounce along….

The side of a pond filled with feathers from moulting penguins

At the side of the wreck – copper, wood, nails and sand …

… and by the time we came back to the beach and the wreck, the tide was out.