Exploring Isla Grande

We've had a good few days exploring Isla Grande, the main island of Tierra del Fuego.  Two nights camping at Harberton in fine calm weather were great.  In keeping with the name "land of Fires" we kept the campfire going continuously. Despite the coastal location we had frost on the tents and a max temperature of about 12 degrees.

The museum at Harberton was fascinating and our guide spent an hour explaining the differences in various whales and dolphins,  illustrated with skeletons we could touch and hold.  We made a small contribution to research by recording our dolphin sightings in the Beagle channel.  The Chilean dolphins being rarely seen.  The visit to the rendering room where whales were rendered to bone received mixed reactions from retching to fascination.  The rendering in done in half 44 gallon drums over wood fires in an odourous process.
Ther are 10-12000 Magellanic penguins nesting on a nearby island and the trip out to see them was well worth while for a wide variety of birdlife.
Yesterday we left Harberton and crossed the Andes at Garibaldi Pass.  The east coast is thick with Guanocos, a big cousin of Llamas. They are protected and leap sheep fences with a single graceful bound.  In fact they vastly outnumber sheep.  In 1995 a severe winter decimated sheep numbers in Patagonia (Harberton lost 78%).  Volcanic eruptions this century left a layer of ash that the sheep couldn't deal with, causing further big losses.  The price of wool has collapsed - and so now many estancias have given up on sheep - and indeed seem to be increasingly focussing on farming tourists as a primary source of income.

We have seen several Condors, including one that swooped low overhead.  Carrion eaters, they are ugly close up as their vultiure status becomes obvious, but in flight they are stunning.