Having remained at anchor overnight we were greeted by a glorious morning to sail (virtually no wind so actually motoring) on to our next stop at Carcass Island (nothing to do with cadavers but named after HMS Carcass). Lapping up the serene morning on deck I mentioned to a fellow voyage crew member, James, “its good to be alive”. His response, “sure beats the alternative”. James is an interesting character, a Californian who retired from the IT industry 15 years ago, he spends 8 to 9 months a year travelling. He has probably visited more countries than anyone else I’ve ever met including several (Yemen and Somali for instance) which I’d probably give a very wide berth.
Anyway back to Carcass Island. Carcass is one of the few island which has never been invaded by rats, cats or feral dogs and consequently it has a very healthy population of small land birds some of which are endemic to The Falklands. Anchored off another beautiful beach, Leopard Beach, the Zodiacs were surrounded by playful Commerson’s Dolphins on the run ashore, a cherry on the top of what had so far been a wonderful morning.
After the walk across the island to the settlement we were invited into Carcass Island House, a guest house that welcomes all visitors to join them for tea and cakes, a veritable cakefest was presented to us, far more than we could possibly eat but we struggled manfully to do it justice. The owners of the guesthouse / island still productively farm sheep but balance it with the needs of the natural environment to very good effect. Again, the settlement is nestled in a depression in the land with a sheltering belt of trees (all introduced, there are no trees native to the islands) and the gardens were full of birdsong, idyllic.
On returning to the ship lunch was served on deck (but barely needed after the cakefest) then we sailed (under motor again) for Saunders Island, another privately owned island which is farmed but follows strong conservation ideals. Interestingly Saunders was the home of the original settlement / capital of the island at Port Egmont and during the 18th century was variously claimed by France, Spain and Britain until Britain exerted its sovereignty over the whole island group. Two of the highland areas are connected by a low lying isthmus which is hope to a small colony of King Penguins along with a further colony of Gentoos. Warning, lots more penguins!
The young Kings are completely different to the parents and are land bound for the first 11 months or so and are totally reliant on the parents for food. During this time they will obtain a greater weight than at any other time of their lives. Indeed, they are so different that early observers assumed them to be a completely different species. Additionally, they breed on a staggered two year cycle so there are frequently all stages of development to be seen within the colony.
So, in conclusion, two islands in one day, both privately owned, both still commercially farmed and both doing their bit for conservation. It was a privilege to have had access to the islands and their unique wild life but, equally, it has been a privilege to meet the custodians who’s families have for years made a living off the land and whilst not farmed it so intensively as to completely destroy these unique places. Thankyou