Not sure exactly how to explain how my mind wandered to the Beagle Channel tonight, so will just say that it wandered there.

Tonight I will share three pictures from Sea Lions Island or La Isla de Los Lobos which is in the middle of the Beagle Channel.

But, where is the Beagle Channel?

The Beagle Channel is a strait that runs through Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. For most of its length it separates Argentina on the north from Chile on the south. On the western end of the strait it runs through Chile.

The Beagle Channel is named after the HMS Beagle. You may recognize this name as it was the ship that Charles Darwin sailed on. Lest you think that the naming of the channel is associated with Darwin, I must point out that it was named during the previous voyage of the HMS Beagle to the channel.

OK, now that we know where the Beagle Channel is, here are the pictures.

I really like this picture. We have the snoozing sea lions in the foreground of the picture and then one that is sitting on top of the rocks. You can tell that the one above has just recently been in the water as it has not yet dried out. The sea lion looks like it is staring off into the distance taking in the view. We also have some beautiful Imperial Shag cormorants (Phalacrocorax atriceps) in the picture and also a few seagulls.

In this picture we have a lot more Imperial Shags including one that is in flight. If you look carefully you can also see a few basking sea lions and also a couple seagulls. Sea Lions Island was covered with all three of these. I also like this picture because you can see both the snow covered mountains and the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse in the background of the picture. The lighthouse is also known as Faro del fin del mundo. You can find out what this means by clicking on my previous post: Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse

There is also much more information about the Beagle Channel in the post about the lighthouse and a beautiful picture of just the lighthouse.

Finally we have another picture of the sea lions. They look so majestic as they bask in the sun. As I look at these pictures I can recall the smells and sounds of this island. Just imagine the squawks of the birds and the roaring of the sea lions. I can’t decide which of these pictures is my favorite. They all have something that I like in them.

Oops, my mind just wandered again. I am also thinking of another amazing picture that I took of a sea lion. Click on the link to see a picture taken with Perfect Timing.

I hope that you enjoyed this brief look at the wildlife of the Beagle Channel.

Steven