Punta Arenas, Chile boasts that it is the southernmost city in South America (whereas Ushuaia is the southernmost town!). There is a friendly rivalry between the two places, but we felt that each had its own charm. We were quickly introduced to the most salient atmospheric feature of the region — its windiness! Our tour of Punta Arenas and the Patagonian plains outside of town took us to a penguin colony some 70 kilometers up along the coast. The landscape looked like a mix of Colorado, California, New Mexico, and Nebraska! Along the road we saw many herds of sheep and cattle, as well as giant birds called rias.

Mark poses nonchalantly next to the sign for the Magellanic Penguin Colony.

The penguins inhabit a large grassland and coastal cove that are part of a larger estancia (ranch). During our 2-hour visit most of the visitors were brought out by tour bus (including several from our ship).

Members of the group on the beach were diving in and out of the water for short swims, but eventually they all headed for the grasslands to partake in some dryland penguin social life.

They look so much like a group of little butlers waddling off to work!

This guy was headed off on his own. It really amazing to see so many penguins nesting in the grasses. There seemed to be family groups as well as individual animals making their homes in the tall grasses of the Patagonian plain.

It wasn't til we got home that Carolyn noticed how penguin-y she looked in her windbreaker and warm cap!

Hang around penguins long enough and you start to flap your ams and walk like them. We were pretty taken with these cute-looking little guys.

Penguins grooming in the grass.

Dozens of penguins were hanging out in the grasslands.

Penguins weren't too much happier about the high winds than we were.

This group was huddled up against a short cliff to get some shelter.

These rias were all over the place!

A happy penguin-watcher.