Tierra del Fuego

After visiting Torres del Paine, our curiosity went even further and we really wanted to get our feet on the ground at the very end of the world, on the southernmost place on earth. We took a trip to see a king penguin colony in Tierra del Fuego. It is also true that we were very excited to cross the Magellan Strait. In the same month, but 495 years later, we took the route chosen by Magellan, between South America (Chile and Argentina) and Tierra del Fuego archipelago and proven to be the fastest connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. During the boat trip I kept thinking how the world would be today without the discovery of the largest ocean on earth that Magellan named it Mar Pacifico (peaceful sea) or without knowing that the earth is round, well, almost round... Even if the idea of a spherical shape of earth was supported by several scholars of those times, Magellan's circumnavigation was the proof of what they had the courage to claim in theory. It is well known that back then the earth was considered to be flat, and saying that the earth is round was a heresy. After all those thoughts, I was very grateful to be able to get to the "Fin del Mundo".

After a long ride we arrived at the Parque Pinguino Rey, on a private farm land. Almost 10 years ago, a couple of King Penguins (the second largest species of penguins in the world after the Emperor Penguins) came to occupy the area after so many years of absence. Year after year, the number of penguins is increasing and today the colony has about one hundred cute penguins. Lucky farmer to have such special guests in his yard! In my country, only the cats take shelter on people's properties :)

We remained silent observing the march of the elegant penguins with colorful feathers around their necks. Oh yes, they are elegant! I've never seen any other birds as handsome as penguins. I was also amazed by the elasticity of their neck and by the way they communicate between them uttering distinct sounds. 

Did you know that 40 million years ago lived the biggest penguin ever called Palaeeudyptes Klekowskii, who weighed up to 115 kg and measured from toes to the tip of the beak up to 2 meters? I bet Miki already knew about that... :)