January 18, 2024August 29, 2024

The Rockhoppers and Albatross at West Point Island

This post is part of our second once-in-a-lifetime expedition to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. Click to expand this section and view the table of contents if you don’t want to read this sequentially, or you are looking for a specific part of the trip.

The Unexpected Beauty of the Falklands

When I mentioned our expedition was heading to the Falklands, most people gave me a puzzled look. Like many, my only association with the Falkland Islands was their role in the 1982 war—until we visited last year. The islands are bursting with diverse bird life, from penguins to albatross, making it a truly special spot for wildlife enthusiasts. While our fellow passengers were disappointed about missing Stanley, we were excited to explore the more remote parts of the archipelago, which is made up of over 200 islands.

Map of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), showing labeled settlements, coastal areas, and major geographic features across West Falkland and East Falkland.

After a long and wet zodiac ride, we landed at the settlement. The caretaker offered to drive passengers to the other side of the island, but we chose the 2km trek to “Devil’s Nose”. It started with a steep hill but then levelled out on a well-worn path. As we approached the far side of the island, we descended into tussock grass, but it mercifully free of seals at this elevation.

Distant ship on calm ocean waters viewed from a grassy coastline under a partly cloudy sky.

Person walking on a grassy trail in a hilly landscape under a bright blue sky.

Narrow path through tall grass on a hillside under a clear blue sky.

Our destination was a colony of black-browed albatross and rockhopper penguins, perched on cliffs overlooking the sea.

Person lying on grassy hillside overlooking a rocky coastline with the ocean and cliffs under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Seabirds nesting on a rocky hillside overlooking a rugged coastline with waves crashing against the cliffs and a bird flying over the ocean.

In a word, it was perfect—perfect weather, perfect wildlife.

Person watching Black-browed Albatrosses soaring over a coastal cliff.

I could have spent the entire day watching the albatross glide effortlessly on the wind, tend to their chicks, preen, and engage in courtship rituals.

Close-up of a Black-browed Albatross staring directly at the camera.

Fluffy Black-browed Albatross chick resting on a rocky nest.

Close-up of two Black-browed Albatrosses touching beaks.

Adult Black-browed Albatross feeding its fluffy chick on a rocky nest.

Black-browed Albatross resting with its head tucked into its feathers.

Fluffy Black-browed Albatross chick sitting in its nest with its beak wide open.

Black-browed Albatross soaring in the sky with wings fully spread.

At first I was disappointed that the onshore wind meant lots of bird butt photos, but I came to love the way their feet splay out like airplane landing gear when they land into the wind.

Black-browed Albatross in flight, viewed from behind, with wings spread and legs extended.

Black-browed Albatross flying over a coastal cliff toward the ocean.

Black-browed Albatross gliding over the ocean with wings fully extended.

The scale doesn’t come through in the images, but these are big birds, with a wingspan ranging from about 2 to 2.5 meters (6.5 to 8.2 feet). They didn’t seem to mind our presence. One even snuck up right in the tussock in back of me, which wasn’t nearly as alarming as when the giant fur seals do.

Black-browed Albatross standing on the ground among tall grass.

The location felt surreal, with the albatrosses and rockhopper penguins nesting together peacefully in the tussock and rocks. Rockhopper penguins, with their piercing red eyes, are named for their unique way of hopping rather than waddling across the rocky cliffs of their rugged breeding grounds. The rockhopper chicks, with their fluffy, plain gray feathers, almost look like the cartoon or stuffed penguins in contrast to their sharp-eyed, spiky-haired parents.

Rockhopper penguin standing on rocky terrain near the ocean.

Close-up of a Rockhopper penguin with spiky crest feathers and a red beak.

Rockhopper penguin holding a twig in its beak among rocks.

Rockhopper penguin chick standing among other chicks on rocky ground.

The walk back to the settlement revealed even more wildlife, including a male and female long-tailed meadowlark and oystercatchers.

Close-up of a brightly colored bird with vibrant redish orange and black plumage perched on a wooden post.

Speckled bird with an reddish orange chest perched on a wooden post, looking off to the side.

Oystercatcher bird with a bright red beak standing on a rocky, lichen-covered surface.

The caretakers of West Point Island invited us into their cottage for morning tea, and it was nothing short of impressive. Their garden was filled with fragrant flowers, a stark contrast to the past three weeks where the only smell we’d known was penguin.