Falkland Islands: Meet a British penguin

A new expedition brings you face-to-face with the Falkland Islands' animal inhabitants.

By Glen Mutel
Published 7 Sept 2016, 09:00 BST, Updated 7 Jul 2021, 15:47 BST

Rockhopper penguin, Falkland Islands.

Photograph by Getty Images

It's often said the Falkland Islands are more British than Blighty itself, but that can feel like an exaggeration. Sure, visitors might spot the odd Union Jack, and the phone and post boxes are undoubtedly the correct shade of red, but nothing makes a Brit feel further from home than a sudden preponderance of penguins.

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic are offering a fresh way to see both aspects of the Falklands, by launching a complete circumnavigation of the islands. The 13-day expedition, aboard the National Geographic Orion, will first run on 19 and 28 October 2016.

The trip includes a stop in the capital, Stanley, where passengers can meet the locals and check out highlights such as Christ Church Cathedral, with its garden arch made from the jaw bones of two blue whales.

But it's the wildlife that's the real highlight, with the itinerary including a hike across Carcass island in search of rockhopper penguins, blue-eyed (and pink-toed) shags and bull elephant seals.

The voyage will also take in Argentina's Isla de los Estados, an untamed and largely untouched nature reserve, home to the 132-year-old lighthouse that inspired Jules Verne's novel, The Lighthouse At The End of the World. What could be better for a smug Facebook post — apart from a British penguin, of course.

Published in the October 2016 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

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