Ushuaia

Ushuaia, the End of the World

Ushuaia means the bay that penetrates the sunset. The city itself has the mountains of Tierro del Fuego surrounding it on three sides creating a picturesque scene. We did a scenic cruise in the Beagle Channel, primarily to spot the wildlife. Our first island was a large colony of Blue Eyed Cormorants (though they look like black and white penguins from a distance). They lay 3 eggs in November which hatch in December. We also saw Kelka and Dolphin Gulls. On another island we had South American Sea Lions. The alpha males were very evident, being about twice the size of the females, with a large mane, similar to lions. They can dive up to 50 meters deep. The guide warned us not to worry if we saw red on them, they eat so much King Crab that their excrement turns red. A little further along we saw many Southern Great Petrals, ending up at the Lighthouse at the End of the World. After returning to town, we took a short walk through the city.