I spent two months in the Falkland Islands, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic, aiming to capture footage of all five penguin species that breed there - The Gentoo, Magellanic (Jackass), King, Southern Rockhopper, and Macaroni penguins. The Falklands, known for their lack of trees, abundance of pubs, and a population of one million penguins, offers both a beautiful and challenging environment. While some penguins were easy to spot, others required extensive travel by land, sea, or air to find. One species is so elusive that only a few hundred breeding pairs remain, disappearing by March, and I arrived in February—leaving little time.
Determined, I traversed the entire archipelago by foot, 4x4 and FIGAS planes, visiting remote camps, hiking mountains (mostly for fun), and even staying alone in a portakabin 200 km from civilization. I explored Stanley, Tumbledown Mountain, Johnson's Harbour & Volunteer Point, Fitzroy Farm & Bertha's Beach, Fox Point, Darwin & Goose Green, Mount Usborne, Sea Lion Island, Saunders Island, and Murrell Farm.
Along the way I encountered sheep, Elephant seals, sea lions, Peale dolphins, Black-browed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrels, Johnny rooks (also called striated caracaras), Oystercatchers and all three endemic birds - The Tussac Bird, the Falkland Steamer Duck, and the Cobb's Wren.
My journey offers a mix of adventure, humor, some truly unexpected moments, and plenty of wild experiences—perfect for anyone planning a visit, seasoned photographers/videographers looking for tips, or for those just curious about the Falklands and its penguin population!
00:00 Intro
02:03 Stanley
04:22 Whale bone display
04:40 Gnome garden
07:38 Lady Elizabeth shipwreck
08:10 Gypsie Cove
08:38 ⭐️ MAGELLANIC PENGUINS
10:30 Yorke Point
10:58 ⭐️ GENTOO PENGUINS
11:51 Cape Pembroke
12:35 Sea Lion scare
13:50 Volunteer Point
14:31 ⭐️ KING PENGUINS
18:37 Sea Lion Island
19:32 Southern Elephant Seals
24:32 The rat problem
27:58 ⭐️ ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS
32:15 Bertha's Beach
33:47 Goose Green
34:55 Mount Usborne
37:01 Bodie's Creek suspension bridge
37:53 Saunders Island
43:05 Southern Giant Petrels
41:53 Striated Caracara (Johnny Rooks)
46:17 Black-browed Albatross
49:36 Mount Tumbledown
54:01 ⭐️ MACARONI PENGUIN?
55:02 Outro
Photo Credits:
Boat and Bait throwing
https://mousefreemarion.org/a-success-story-65-islands-in-the-falklands-have-been-cleared-of-their-invasive-rats/
ATV and Plastic Pipe bait
https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/acap-breeding-site-no-92-bleaker-island-southern-giant-petrel-home-in-the-south-atlantic-has-its-norway-rats-poisoned
The Rookery
https://www.falklandislands.com/stay/the-rookery-p675801
Music & sound effects licensed from Soundstripe.