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Author Topic: South America More Normal Tourist Photos  (Read 1242 times)

Tug Fanatic

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South America More Normal Tourist Photos
« on: January 29, 2018, 03:40:44 pm »



Just to prove that I do take pictures which might be classed as nearly normal I am posting 10 that might have been taken by somebody else.


The first 2 are scenery! The first is a very rare proper cone Volcano from Chile & the second is a glacier in the Beagle Channel.


Photos 3, 4 & 5 are a story. We are birdwatchers & going to South America there are two birds that as a birdwatcher you really must include on your wanted list, Condors & Albatross. The problem with Condors is that all the books say that they only live above 3000 metres on cliff faces well away from people and then only bother flying when the thermals build as they can weigh 30lbs and it makes life easier. We asked around the various tours and were told no Condors were not possible. We were not going to meet the criteria to see them so had reluctantly given up any real hope. Whilst in Santiago we had booked a trip to the Andes to see the scenery (yes really). On the way up we casually mentioned to the guide that we had hoped to see Condors and he replied to the effect that we would see them as they nested on the roofs of the hotels in the ski station that we would be visiting. We thought that he was joking but when we got there I took pictures 3,4 &5 of Condors & yes they include young and nesting on the Hotel roofs. We were both amazed & delighted. We really don't know how many we saw flying but as we saw 5 at the same time that is a minimum number.


The other must have bird was Albatross. Albatross are very long lived and the youngsters can go to sea for several years before becoming of breeding age & returning to land. Much to out surprise & delight they apparently enjoy riding the rising air generated by cruise ship superstructures. So for several hours on a couple of afternoons we were surrounded by mainly your Albatross. Absolutely wonderful. This gives us pictures 6, 7 & 8.


Pictures 9 & 10 are of sea lions & seals respectively. The seals were on tourist duty on the quay at Stanley and the Sea Lion was guarding very large colony at Usuaia (the city at the end of the world).


I haven't included pictures of penguins because everybody knows what Penguins look like & there were just so many of them!


The final story could have been tragic. We were eating breakfast off Patagonia when I noticed some whale blows at sea. Unfortunately the camera was in the cabin but we dashed outside to find ourselves in the middle of an enormous group of 30ft+ whales that stretched several mile in each direction. The closest we saw was no more than 30ft from the side of the boat with head & tail covered in what looked like barnacles. The ship immediately slowed did, several very tight turns and generally stayed amongst the whales for an hour or so. We were impressed that someone on the bridge had decided to give us all such a great view of the whales (Southern Right Whales we think). Later we found out that someone thought that a man had jumped overboard & that we were exercising a search pattern. Fortunately they accounted for all the passengers & crew but the reports about the state of the person who reported it suggest that he was being serious.


PS China booked for next year!









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Martin (Admin)

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Re: South America More Normal Tourist Photos
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2018, 04:42:59 pm »

 
Awesome!   :o

Photo 2: Is that a melt water, waterfall out the bottom of the glacier?
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Stavros

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Re: South America More Normal Tourist Photos
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2018, 08:43:51 pm »

Bloomiing heck Didnt Know Martin and Bob were on Holiday




Dave...................now HIDING in his shed




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Peter Fitness

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Re: South America More Normal Tourist Photos
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2018, 09:17:11 pm »

Wonderful photos :-))  We were on a cruise recently aboard Golden Princess, and had the company of several albatross on a couple of occasions. We were in mid Pacific on our way to Alaska, well over 1000 km from land, when the birds would arrive, apparently riding the air wave of the ship. They would stay with us for quite a while, eventually disappearing into the distance. From their colouring they appeared to be adult birds.


Peter.
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: South America More Normal Tourist Photos
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2018, 10:18:26 pm »



Awesome!   :o

Photo 2: Is that a melt water, waterfall out the bottom of the glacier?



yes it is. There is a lot of glacier that you cannot see.
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