Rowing in the Beagle Channel

January 27, 2009 (Mozart's birthday)
Today I joined a group of about 14 tourists for a day tour to the Beagle Channel and Harberton Estancia. We left early from Ushuaia in the Yellow Submarine (bus) for the 90-minute dusty ride to Harberton. Arriving at the Lashifashaj River on the historic estancia property, we unloaded two large rubber canoes and donned wet weather gear and life jackets. We rowed down river to where it meets the Beagle Channel. Here we carried and towed the canoes to the nearby bay and headed into the Channel. Marine birds were numerous, especially the black and white imperial cormorant, some white terns and flightless steamer ducks. Unfortunately my camera was packed in a dry pocket. I was busy rowing into the wind.



Just as the wind became stronger, we landed on the Harberton Peninsula. A large zodiak picked us up and delivered us to the estancia where we had a delicious lunch on the hill above. After lunch we boarded the zodiak once again to visit a couple of islands in the channel.


Martillo Island hosts a large colony of Magellanic penguins and a small colony of gentoo penguins. We were careful to keep a distance, both to protect the birds and to avoid their curious and dangerous beaks. What is the fascination we humans have for these gentle animals?





This nest contains an adult and two almost full sized chicks.


After spending about an hour in the penguin colony we boarded the zodiac for a short ride to Gable Island. This is where the Harberton ranch used to deliver cattle and sheep to graze. It provided a natural way to prevent the animals from roaming. The name Gable was given because there are cliffs which resemble gables on a house.


We took a hike around the island, which consists of many acres. It is a model of the forest on the mainland, and our guide Freddy had a good understanding of the flora. This parasite is found in the magellanic forest throughout the southern continent. It reminds us of mistletoe and comes in a variety of colors from brown to green and yellow.




We soon met our bus on the mainland and returned on the dusty road to Ushuaia. The next day I took a bus north for 90 minutes for a return visit to Lake Fagnano for a bit of a rest from the adventure of the past week. Today (Jan. 29) I walked almost 5 miles to the village of Tolhuin to visit the famous La Unión bakery for treats. The rain discouraged this tired walker and I returned to my lodge on the lake by taxi. Throughout the day the sky changed constantly, from no clouds and bright sun to torrential rains. The sky in Tierra del Fuego is as dramatic as any of the sights on land or sea.

Tomorrow I have a ride north to Río Grande. My visit to Argentine Tierra del Fuego is almost over and I return to Chile and Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan in a few days.