In Port Stanley, Darwin’s legacy is ever-present. The naturalist visited the Falklands Islands twice, in 1833 and 1834. On his first visit, Darwin surveyed wreckage in the coastal environment, which he called “quite lamentable.” On the second visit, in the wake of the Gaucho Rivero revolt, Darwin decried the small […]
In contrast to challenging weather and rough conditions on Saunders Island, disembarking on Carcass Island was more agreeable. A vexing environmental question in the Falklands is how to conserve native tussac grass, which has been severely diminished due to sheep grazing. After hiking down the road, we came to a […]
Before landing in Port Stanely, the Oosterschelde toured outer islands in the Falklands archipelago. First stop: desolate and sparsely populated Waddell Island. Sheep grazing has hardly been a boon to the environment in the Falklands, and perhaps kelp farming could be a sustainable alternative. A pontoon boat in the middle […]
In Puerto Madryn, the sea was too rough to reach the Darwin 200 initiative, which meant postponing departure. The following day, waves had subsided and I took a motor boat out to the Oosterschelde. Aboard the Oosterschelde: crew, passengers and other members of the Darwin 200 initiative including scientists and […]
Darwin visited the Falklands Islands twice, in 1833 and 1834, spending more time in the archipelago than he did in the Galápagos. At the time, the British government had grown concerned about U.S. naval activity in the South Atlantic. Indeed, the Americans had been at odds with one Louis Vernet, […]
Prevented from traveling to La Esperanza due to the fire and blazes, I took a side trip to Punta Tombo Nature Reserve in the province of Chubut. While there, I spoke with nature guides and park rangers in an effort to assess the state of local wildlife. Historically, Punta Tombo […]
La Esperanza wildlife refuge encompasses a coastal strip full of wildlife — 81 species of animals, including marine mammals and birds. In an echo of Darwin, who uncovered ancient fossil beds demonstrating the inexorable passage of geologic time, the area is also an excellent site to hunt for shells in […]
With help from a wildlife guide, I settled into rural life at La Esperanza wildlife refuge. A wildlife lookout station is located a short distance from the cabin
The dangerous blaze which had prevented me from traveling to La Esperanza wildlife refuge finally abated. Oddly, even though the area had been subjected to a dangerous fire days earlier, the road was almost completely washed out in the midst of torrential rain. Ravages of climate change: closer to La […]
From Buenos Aires, I took a short flight south to the coastal town of Puerto Madryn. There, while I waited for the Darwin 200 initiative to arrive, I linked up with local non-governmental organization Fundación Patagonia Natural. Through the foundation, I had arranged to visit La Esperanza, a nature reserve […]
