Cape Horn/Ushuaia with Beagle Channel

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Amber Waves Photography Galleries » South America and Antarctica - Star Princess - January, 2008 » Cape Horn/Ushuaia with Beagle Channel

Ushuaia - End of the World, Beginning of Everything - our first landfall after a week in Antarctica

Rounding Cape Horn is one of the most anticipated, and perhaps dreaded, part of an Antarctic or South American Voyage, along with crossing Drake Channel. On this voyage, both were extremely calm. This is a picture of the Chilean naval base at Cape Horn, with the Albatross sculpture, honoring the wandering souls of sailors lost in this traditionally trecherous area.

In Ushuaia, one of the most popular options is to take a catamaran ride into Beagle Channel. During this sailing, you get very close to cormorant colonies, such as these Imperial Cormorants. However, I will admit, when first sighted, we all thought we were seeing penguins... until they flapped their wings and flew.

There were also several sea lion and fur seal colonies sharing space with the cormorants.

Rock Cormorants seemed to favor the cliff sides.

Definitely a bit territorial were these birds.

Interestingly, the cormorants generally faced the rocks rather than outwards.

This lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse on the South American continent.

South American Tern - very similar to the Arctic Tern.

The rusted mast base of a long-ago ship.

Each sea lion colony is controlled by a dominant male, called the Beachmaster. When not actively defending his harem and pups, his primary job seems to be to pose.

Though these pups all seem to be doing their own thing, from some very active and rough play (including drawing blood), to sleeping, once the Beachmaster moves, they all scatter.

Coming back into the beautiful setting of Ushuaia, Argentina, with the ship near the center. Before it could be seen clearly, it almost looked like an out-of-place modern office building.

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