Penguin Shenanigans: A Quirky Jaunt to the Falkland Islands!

Trying to take a family photo while Owen confronts his not-so-secret admirer in the Falkland Islands - a King penguin chick.

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to our epic Falkland Islands adventure, where penguins rule the roost and sea lions flirt shamelessly. 

Our home for the majority of our stay was Volunteer Point, a private property spanning about 28 acres of land, teeming with thousands of penguins. For four days, it was just us four and our two hosts, Derek and Trudy. Typically reserved by National Geographic photographers and scientists, this place surprised us with not one, but three penguin colonies: Magellanic, Gentoo, and Kings.  

The real stars of the show were the King penguin chicks, flaunting their adorable brown, non-waterproof feathers. One little guy, marked by a distinctive poop streak down his back, developed a fondness for Owen and followed him around wherever he went, much to the disapproval of the King adults because chicks are to stay within the confines set by the colony.  

During a sudden hailstorm, when chicks usually know to huddle for warmth, they mistook us for shelter and ran at us for an unexpected cuddle. To avoid confusion, we left the colony promptly. 

On another morning, just as we were about to settle down for breakfast in our snug sunroom, two sea lions caught our eye as they climbed over the sandbank in our view. We threw our jackets over our PJs and rushed out for a closer look. The male sea lion had a “romantic” agenda, escorting the female far from the water and holding her captive until she agreed to mate*. Meanwhile, we watched other sea lions try their luck at hunting penguins, some failed attempts and unfortunately some successful.  

Amidst these antics, we also played beach football, ate a lot of snacks, and set up our tripod, sparking the penguins' curiosity, and managing to capture some fantastic close-up photos without intruding on their space. 

It was simply perfect. We're big fans of penguins. 

*Our host later told us that the female sea lion resisted the male for an impressive 24 hours before finally giving in to his chauvinistic demands.