Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas. Monday 13th November 2006.

Today we are off early on the bus from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas. After checking into the hostel I set about checking out the town.

First stop is lunch at El Quijote. The waterfront is not so pretty in this port, but the sea has obviously brought wealth and changing fortunes to this port over its history.

During our shopping this afternoon I have 10,000 pesos stolen from my bag. It is not a great deal of money, thank goodness, but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

After our shopping expedition we head for coffee at Chocolatta where Kathrin and I also enjoy a waltz in the cafe atmosphere.

In the late afternoon we drive out along the Magellan Strait to the Otway Sound Penguin Colony. It is very very cold here, but well worth the visit.

The Magellan Penguins arrive from the southern coast of Brazil and the Falkland Islands between September 10th and 15th and then for the rest of the month they are preparing their nests. The first half of October is mating season and the resulting laying of eggs. Then until mid-November the Penguins brood and protect their eggs with the offspring born from mid-November to mid-December. By January/February the young are changing their feathers and beginning to swim and then from mid-March the Penguins will leave their nests and move to coastal Brazil and the Atlantic Islands.

On average, Penguins live between 25 and 30 years and they always come back to the place of their birth for the mating season. Normally they will produce 1 or 2 offspring and both males and females will take turns to watch and feed the young.

Penguins swim for food every 8 hours and they dive to depths of 30 to 35 metres. Penguins are monogomous and they come back to the colony only for the reproductive season.

Seeing the March of the Penguins in reality is a true wonder of nature.

Even though it is the beginning of the summer season here in Patagonia it can be bloody cold as demonstrated here at the Penguin Colony. These penguins must be hardy. I am really glad for the warm gloves muumy bought for me before this trip.

Tonight we dine as a group at Arco Iris.