Day 31 - Puerto Madryn, Argentina

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The Puerto Madryn excursion was all about the ‘Punta Tombo Penguin Rookery’. Our tour guide Claudea and driver Richard were a great team teaching us about the area's history, culture and people. There was definitely ‘Something Special’ in the narrative, but for me, remained elusive until much later. More on that in the next post, but now it is time for the penguins.

Punta Tombo is home to the Magellanic Penguin and their largest breeding colony in the world. Current estimates indicate 210,000 adult pairs mate yearly.  Males arrive to build nests in September.  Females arrive in October to check the nests and if unacceptable change mates.  The couples produce two chicks of which only one survives. Those not succumbing to the elements or predators have a life expectancy of 30 years.

The Rookery is not a manmade or controlled environment. It is the birds natural breeding grounds of which we are visitors. For this reason, there are strict rules of engagement. All visitors must stay on the boardwalks and within the marked areas. Any birds wishing to cross the pedestrian walks have the right of way. All visitors must stay at least six feet from the birds. No food allowed past the visitor’s entrance area. All birds come and go as they wish.

This symbiotic relationship allows us to view and study the birds in their natural environment. The birds walk around doing what they normally do while totally ignoring the people. Each family of birds has a nest. Parents take turns feeding the chicks. Chicks typically get fed every other day. When hungry, chicks let the world know. Life goes on for the birds and the people observe in astonishment.

On one occasion a bird stepped up to the edge of the path and waited. The people cleared the path and the bird proceeded to the other side.

On another occasion, while photographing two chicks about ten feet from the path, one of the parents quickly rushed in between us. No fuss was directed towards me, but the chicks were ushered back to a more appropriate distance. All was then good.

Much can be learned from nature if we only take time to observe. I found it unbelievable how two separate species reached informal agreements for sharing a common space, appreciating each other’s differences and respecting each other’s individualism.

If birds and humans can accomplish this without a common language, why do we have so many problems addressing our social and race issues?

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