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 Estimated reading time: 6 min. |
  Marcelo Sola |
DAY 2
During the night, the M/V “ Ushuaia” will have sailed along the whole northern area of Staten Island and the following morning we will be on the Eastern end of the island, where San Juan de Salvamento port is located. There is the mythical End of the World Lighthouse, referred to in Jules Verne’s homonymous novel. |
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History goes that in 1884 Commodore Augusto Lasserre, Commander of the South Atlantic Expeditionary Division of the Argentine Navy, set up a Subprefecture in this place along with the lighthouse, in order to affirm the Argentine Sovereignty in the zone, only 20 km away from the border with Chile.
In this place, there is an exact copy of the original lighthouse built in the area, which eventually collapsed due to the passing of time.
The boat will finish casting anchor and soon we will begin the second landing. From the “Ushuaia” you will not be able to observe the mythical lighthouse. For such purpose, we will have to disembark on the island and hike about one kilometer along average difficulty soil. |
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Once on the island, we will move along the laconically noticeable paths, which will lead us to the historical sector.
We will cross an intense peat and coastal “tussok” grass, spreading along significant extensions in the reservation, which are absent in the Argentine continental territory and their presence is scarcely remote in Tierra del Fuego.
As we follow the path, the expedition leader will show us the typical vegetation of the site we are visiting consisting mainly of guindo trees - dark green colored –and cinnamon trees - light green colored- and rare bushes such as the so-called "siete camisas". |
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As we reach the lighthouse, everything will be reduced to beholding. Little by little, the rest of the expedition members will arrive with a smile shining on their faces.
The cameras will not stop shooting for a moment. The fact is that all of us wish to freeze that particular moment standing in front of the lighthouse that inspired dreamers, writers and movie scriptwriters.
You will enter the building and with much dedication you will write a few lines in the book of visitors. The expedition leader will read a letter written by an old inhabitant of the place. While listening to the description made by the unknown patriot, you will be transported back in time, feeling the same sensations, as a chill runs through your body. |
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A few minutes later, we will go back the path towards the zodiacs that will take us to a rockhopper penguin’s colony in Cape San Juan de Salvamento. Depending on the season you do this expedition, you will be able to watch the adults moulting their plumage.
The rockhopper penguins, thus called for having strong yellow-colored eyebrows, are perfectly capable of climbing rocks. They even tend to leave the marks of their nails on them. We will watch the graceful birds and then return to the ship.
The M/V “Ushuaia” will resume its march, finding its way back along the northern area of the island. We will continue bordering the coast up to Port Cook, site of the Second Military prison of Staten Island, where we will make our third landing. |
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Once again, we will get ready for a new landing. We will get to the shores of Port Cook, which are covered by rocks and we will get immersed in the area where years ago a military prison used to work and where at present only some ruins remain.
The expedition leader will produce a photography book from the days when the jail was working and will provide explanations about the building site.
After learning about the history of this legendary site, we will move on to observe the cemetery of the old military prison. We will always walk in a row, trying not to roam around the place, thus we will be contributing to preserve the landscape of the island.
After the visit to the cemetery, we will continue walking on a peat we reach Port Vancouver, located on the southern coast of the island. |
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The peat that you will be crossing was formed in a post glacial period; mosses in the zone started accumulating as time passed because of the lack of bacteria that should decompose it, forming on the ground several layers that give a padded aspect to the region.
In Port Vancouver, we will find the usual quality of the Island’s scenery that in spite of being lashed by continuous winds of the south remains unique. We will rest for a few minutes. We will cross the area and enjoy this experience to the utmost. Then, we will return to the expedition cruise. |
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Once dinner is over, we will see a documentary about the region we are visiting. We will go to the comfortable staterooms to rest, since a new adventure will be waiting for us the following day... when we arrive at the Observatory Island’s Lighthouse that is part of a group of islands known as “New Year Isles”, which belong to the Staten Island Reservation. |
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