A Day in Stanley and a Trip to Gypsy Cove

Our first sea day on the Silver Wind expedition felt typical and passed quickly.

The day included a zodiac briefing, our first biosecurity inspection, a kayak briefing for those who had signed up, and the captain’s welcome. We had not signed up for kayaking, and I hadn’t even realized it was an option until the briefing appeared on the schedule.

It was the familiar rhythm of an expedition cruise: briefings, inspections, gear checks, and trying to remember where everything was on the ship.

Arriving in the Falkland Islands

The following morning we arrived in the Falkland Islands.

The Silver Wind was too large to pass through the Narrows into Stanley Harbour, which meant we had long zodiac transfers from the ship. Inside the harbour, the Greg Mortimer sat at anchor. I think both of us secretly wished we were on it at first, mostly because we had fond memories and the Silver Wind felt a little too cruisy. More on that later.

Unlike some of our previous expeditions, Silversea required guests to sign up for shore excursions in the Falklands. Options included a Mount William hike, a battlefield tour, highlights of Stanley, and several departures to Gypsy Cove. We were in Group 3 for the Gypsy Cove tour.

Visiting Gypsy Cove in the Falkland Islands

We had visited Gypsy Cove before, but it still felt good to get off the ship and stretch our legs.

Our guide was excellent, and we learned a few interesting things about life in the Falklands. The islands harvest two types of squid, with one exported mainly to Spain and the other to Asia. Because of the politics around the Falklands, the squid is often marketed as “South Atlantic squid” because the Falklands are a politically controversial.

We also learned that the Falkland Islands government pays for residents to attend university overseas, and most students go to the UK. There is one military flight to Stanley from the UK that stops at Ascension Island. There is also a weekly commercial flight from Punta Arenas.

We did not go down to the beach at Gypsy Cove, and from where we were standing it did not look like many penguins were down there anyway. We saw one penguin tucked inside a burrow and another standing outside one. They looked larger than I remembered.

We also saw a Peale’s dolphin and a few birds, including this Austral Thrush.

Looking for Rockhopper Beer in Stanley

After the Gypsy Cove tour, we walked around Stanley trying to find a brewery we’d seen on the map. The important detail was that they had a Rockhopper beer. Obviously, this counted as essential research. The brewery turned out to feel more like someone’s house with a brewery on the first floor, but I did get a pretty epic t-shirt.

Why We Stopped Wishing We Were on the Greg Mortimer

While we were at the brewery, a passenger from the Greg Mortimer stopped by. They told us the ship had dealt with a medical emergency on day one while crossing the Drake Passage. The crew had to transfer the passenger to the Douglas Mawson, which was heading north. Let me state that again. They had to transfer a passenger to another ship in the middle of the Drake Passage! Then they had another medical emergency in South Georgia and had to leave early for the Falklands. So maybe it was a good thing we were not on the Greg Mortimer after all.

Missing Our Second Falkland Islands Landing

We were supposed to have another day in the Falklands, and I was really looking forward to it. We have very fond memories of West Point and Saunders Island from a previous expedition, and I would have loved to return. Unfortunately, we had to skip the second Falklands day because of the weather window for South Georgia and because we were already behind schedule. Grumble.

On the positive side, CruiseMapper showed us heading toward Salisbury Plain, which would be incredible if it happened. So instead of another Falklands landing, we had two more days at sea.

Our First Time Seeing Shag Rocks

Despite this being our third time in The Falklands and South Georgia, this was our first time actually seeing Shag Rocks because the fog was too thick on previous expeditions. Full disclosure, I found the iceberg in front of it more interesting than the rocks.

They do attract a heap of seabirds though.

We also spotted a minke whale.

Life at Sea on the Silver Wind

With a few unexpected sea days to fill, we started exploring more of the onboard activities.

We are not really spa people, but I signed up for a pedicure and Andy got a haircut. His haircut was probably the best he has ever had, and I am not exaggerating. My pedicure was just okay, though to be fair, the polish lasted forever.

Another first was a watercolor workshop. Our first creations were not great, but I enjoyed it enough to grab a few extra sheets of paper so I could sketch something for the next class.

The Silver Wind also had plenty of quirks. Announcements did not play inside the cabins, so whenever one came over the hallway speakers, everyone cracked their cabin doors open trying to figure out what had just been said. They also did not really announce wildlife sightings, which felt unusual for an expedition ship. There were activities constantly happening around the ship too. Bingo, bean bag toss, trivia, mahjong, bridge, wine tasting, and at one point, diamond cleaning. Sometimes they overlapped with expedition briefings, which felt slightly odd.

The Silver Wind felt like a slightly strange mix of expedition cruise, dated upscale hotel, and floating retirement village. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

All joking aside though, the crew really did go above and beyond with service. Well, except for the repeated onion incidents. One afternoon I pointed out a towel penguin sitting on a display table somewhere on the ship. About an hour later there was a knock at our cabin door, and someone had delivered a towel penguin to our room.

Honestly, that was pretty great.

Next up –> A Perfect Landings at Salisbury Plain and a Cruise Around Prince Olav Harbour