Tui Snider

We visited Punta Tombo, the world's largest nesting colony for Magellanic penguins!

As you may have guessed, these penguins were named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Apparently, when he and his sailors tried eating a few of these “strange ducks,” they did not like the taste. (That’s probably a good thing, or who knows how many penguins we’d have today.)

Everyone warned that the penguins would be smelly, but much to our surprise, they were not. It was also rather quiet. Another surprise, since every documentary I’ve seen has focused on the hectic quest for obtaining nesting space and getting mates.

At this point in the season, the penguins have mates, nests, and if they’re lucky, they also have a chick or two that’s nearly grown. So basically, there’s no need for them to yell at each other like an episode of the Jerry Springer show.

In fact, we seemed to have arrived right at penguin siesta time. You could literally watch the tuckered birds fall asleep. They'd find a comfy place in the sun, start blinking slowly, then flop down to catch some zzzz's. It was so cute!

Although, at times, it was a bit disconcerting. We saw one penguin laying on its side with a flipper sticking straight out. We worried it was dead, but no, it was merely snoozing.

We also saw guanacas, a type of llama indigenous to the Patagonia region. They are pretty skittsh, because over the years gauchos (Patagonian sheepherders) would eat them.

We also saw herds of sheep tucked in the rough scrubby landscape. These are the sheep that yield Merlino wool, which is an amazing fabric. It's an excellent wool for travelers because it's soft, warm, and wicks moisture.

We even saw an armadillo! Considering that they are nocturnal, this was quite a surprise.Read more