Cape Pembroke

Wednesday, 25th April 2012. The James Clark Ross is still moored up at FIPASS docks in Stanley, after returning from a month-long science cruise to the Southern Ocean. After more packing and post-cruise tidying up, a small weather window opened to go and explore the Falkland Islands. On our previous visit to the area I had explored the Cape Pembroke/Stanley Common area to visit Gypsy Cove and its colony of Magellanic penguins. So this time round I decided to take a slightly different route and make it all the way to Cape Pembroke and its picturesque black and white lighthouse, that our ship had sailed past only yesterday.

Whalebone Cove and Stanley in the background

The walk took me on initially familiar terrain out towards the small out of town airport. From higher ground I had a fabulous view over Whalebone Cove with the wreck of the Lady Elizabeth, and our vessel the James Clark Ross could be seen in the distance. What a contrast those two make - a shiny, modern research vessel and a rusting old ghost ship. The airport seemed to consist of only a small landing strip and some storage and terminal buildings. Most air traffic now uses the Mount Pleasant airport, so this airfield is only used by the inter-island flights using smaller planes.

I walked further east on what looked like a path with deep wheel ruts carved by 4x4 offroaders. And lo and behold, I came across a Landrover coming the other way. Why not, I thought - it's a perfectly pleasant afternoon. But surely, a walk in this beautiful countryside must be more rewarding than driving through it and leaving deep scars in the landscape. Little did I realise how ridiculous this little trip in the offroader actually was, until I spotted a dog running just behind. It had seen me and immediately started approaching when the lady repeatedly called her dog back from within the car. This woman was actually walking her dog from inside the car with the windows wound down. Phew - only in the Falklands!

Upland geese in a mine field

A little further on the path followed to the right of a barbed wire fence. It marked the boundary of various mine fields which means the penguin colonies on the beach are strictly off-limits to humans. The terms of surrender that ended the 1982 war stated that the Argentinians had to reveal the locations of all their mine fields. They did indeed point out which areas had been mined but they hadn't made or didn't leave any records of individual mines. After the war the clearing effort concentrated on more important areas than penguin colonies and the mines were left in place here. It's perfect protection for breeding seabirds, and as far as I am concerned it's OK to just leave things as they are. Tourists and locals don't really need unrestricted access to every penguin colony, do they? The marked paths and installed walkways and viewing platforms make Gypsy Cove very accessible, so it's nice to see that these nearby colonies are still behind barbed wire.

Looking out to see I spotted a pod of dolphins just infront of the Tussock Islands. Four or five animals repeatedly surfaced. Were they feeding? I don't know...

The Cape Pembroke lighthouse

Cape Pembroke is the site of a historic lighthouse with its characteristic black and white colour scheme. It had been operational until the 1982 war, when it was turned off in light of the heavy fighting around Stanley. After the war it remained shut and there is now a beacon that points out the cape to passing shipping. Unfortunately the lighthouse is closed to visitors, and the key is with the museum in town. So I didn't have the opportunity to go to the top - the view would surely have been stunning from the higher vantage point.

The MV Atlantic Coveyor memorial at Cape Pembroke

Near the lighthouse is a war memorial to 12 men of the MV Atlantic Conveyor who died on 25 May 1982 out at sea 90 miles from the memorial in shape of a large propeller.

View out to sea from Cape Pembroke

On the way back from Cape Pembroke along Stanley Bypass I found a large post festooned with signposts to the most obscure places on the planet. The selection of places included someone favourite football stadium, and lots of small and big towns and cities. The closest to Plymouth I could find was a sign pointing towards the Tamar valley in Cornwall at a distance of 7770 miles. Oban in Scotland was marked as being 15113 miles away - the long way around!

If I ever come here again I must remember to bring not only a poppy, but also a signpost with the distance to whereever I happen to be living at that time. Watch this post.. who knows when I'll be back. In the Falkland Islands. It's a wonderful place. And I'll try to stay longer next time...

Next stop Ascension Island. The journey home has begun.