MS National Geographic Explorer
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Sunday, March 6, 2011

    All day Friday and again on Saturday, the National Geographic Explorer cruised gracefully through the Scotia Sea on its way from South Georgia to the Falkland Islands. We saw the usual mixtures of fog and clear skies and occasionally we would spot a whale or a couple of dolphins. A few of the remarkable wandering albatrosses would sometimes fall in behind the ship and effortlessly soar in a zigzag pattern over our wake.

    The ship arrived offshore of Stanley, Falkland Islands, in the late evening on Saturday. The dock in Stanley Harbour was still occupied by other ships (we were early), so we spent the night anchored just inside the mouth of the protected bay. At 7:30 am this morning, Explorer weighed anchor and we moved to the dock. There was a 35-knot wind this morning blowing perpendicular to and toward the dock. It was intriguing to watch Captain Kruess position the ship parallel to the dock and let the wind slowly push us the final thirty or forty feet to dockside, applying fore and aft thrusters at just the right time so that the ship gently kissed the dock bumpers.

    Once the ship was safely tied up and the Falklands customs officials cleared us, we were able to disembark to explore Stanley and the area surrounding it. I spent a couple of hours on a bus tour of the Stanley highlights, and then returned to the ship for lunch.

    The afternoon was more rewarding. A group of us took a short bus ride out of town and hiked up and around Mount Tumbledown, the highest point on the island. This was the location were a decisive battle during the 1982 Falkland Islands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina was fought. The Argentineans held the high ground and the British mounted a dangerous night-attack uphill to engage the Argentineans in a close-quarters battle and took the hill. A number of small shrines reside at the top of Mount Tumbledown memorializing the soldiers lost in the battle.

    The views from Tumbledown and the adjacent hills were excellent and the exercise was welcome. The visibility was good, except for a bit of dust in the air due to the stiff winds blowing across the island.

    Just prior to dinner, we departed Stanley and the ship will be cruising overnight to reach the western islands of the Falklands for more hiking and wildlife viewing.