I had thrown myself into Patagonia, another of my dream destinations, even though I was still reeling from my trip to Antarctica.
The breathtaking mountains, the sparkling lakes, and the profusion of wildlife left me speechless. I was in awe of the area’s breathtaking grandeur and was overjoyed by my sense of adventure.
It is El Calafate that is the first destination from Ushuaia.
El Calafate is a charming town located in the Patagonian region of Argentina, known for its stunning glaciers and breathtaking landscapes. It is a popular tourist destination and a gateway to exploring the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. It also has a variety of restaurants, bars, and shops to explore. The stunning scenery of the region is sure to make your trip an unforgettable experience. During my planning of this trip, I was looking forward to taste the famous Argentinian wine, but after coming to El Calafate, I learned that they had crafted a beer culture here. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and variety of beers. There were lot of flavours to choose from, but my favourites was the honey beer.
After reaching the beautiful tiny yet cozy homestay, we decided to explore the near by Laguna Nimez. This lagoon is situated on the shoreline of Lake Argentino (Lego Argentino). It is a nature reserve known for its diverse bird species, as well as its flamingos, which are the pride of the local community. We spent a few hours enjoying the stunning views of the lake and the wildlife. It was a truly memorable experience.
Here for the first time I experienced the fierce winds that Patagonia is known for.
The winds were so powerful that it felt like standing in the middle of a hurricane. It was an experience that left imprinted on my memory. I will never forget the wild winds of Patagonia. It was so strong that it was difficult to focus the lens by holding it steady. With that lot of my images were shaken.
The landscape of Lagoona Nimez is so beautiful. The white carpeted wildflowers were all around, with tiny, narrow streams slithering around the whole landscape.
The water was so clear that you could see the fishes swimming in it. The wildflowers smelled so strong, they filled the air with a sweet scent. The sun was slowly setting, creating a beautiful hue in the sky.
Known as Cinereous Harrier(Circus cinereus), a Latin American bird of prey and a harrier, as its name implies. The Cinereous Harrier is found in South America, stretching from Tierra del Fuego all the way to northern Colombia. Cinereous means Ashy in Latin, which describes its male coloration. Here it’s a female. So not much ashy, more like a brownie.
The Cinereous Harrier is a diurnal bird of prey, meaning it hunts during the day. It is known as an opportunistic hunter, preying on small animals such as rodents, lizards, and insects. It is also known to take small birds occasionally.
Coscoroba swan is a waterfowl species endemic to southern South America.
They are closely related to the mute swan and are the smallest species of swan in the world. Their diet consists of aquatic vegetation, mollusks, and crustaceans. They are known to be very vocal, making a variety of loud honking and whistling noises.
Flamingos in the Andes …!
Next day plan was to visit Perito Moreno glacier.
As we drive to the glacier with Lego Argentino, I can’t help but feel a sense of awe at the stunning scenery around us. The color of the sky and water seems to blend seamlessly, creating a breathtaking watercolor painting on canvas. The snow-capped mountains in the distance provide a dramatic backdrop to the icy blue glacier that lies ahead.
As getting closer, I can see the cracks and crevices in the ice, evidence of its constant movement and transformation. It’s humbling to think about how long this glacier has been here, slowly carving its way through the landscape over thousands of years. As we step out of the car and onto the rocky terrain, I feel a sense of reverence for this natural wonder. It’s a reminder that there is still so much beauty in this world that is worth protecting and preserving for future generations to enjoy.
It was a massive wall of ice that stretched as far as the eye could see. I stopped at the edge of the lake to admire the view. It was an awe-inspiring experience that I will never forget.
The Perito Moreno glacier is the third largest reserve of fresh water on the planet, after Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and one of the largest glacier. Its located in Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina and part of southern Patagonia ice field.
The name Perito Moreno is nothing to do with the place Perito Moreno as the town with this name is 600 kms away from this glacier. The nearest town is El Calafate which is appx 78 km. Then why its called so? It was named after Argentinian explorer Francisco Moreno, who played an important role in the border dispute between Argentina and Chile in the 19th century. The term ‘perito’ refers to his nickname, which in Spanish means ‘specialist’. Scientists calculate that the Perito Moreno glacier is approximately 18,000 years old and its growing and moving forward 2 meters a day, while other glaciers, polar ice caps and other part of Patagonia ice field are retreating due to effect of global warming.
Around every 5 years or so it will reach the bank of Lego Argentina and separate the lake from its southern arm called Brazo Rico. That creates separate water bodies as the glacier ice isn’t floating rather completely anchored to the ground of the lake. As the water level rises, it creates an enormous pressure against the ice wall and a catastrophic rapture happens in the glacier.
You can find the mini raptures happens multiple times in a day. I witnessed so many of the mini raptures and the huge ice chunks falling into lake creating a cascading effect in water along with ice.
It wasn’t just the glacier that engaged me there. This magical creature was all around. This ashy-headed goose (Chloephaga poliocephala) stole my heart for sure.
Then this, a culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), also known as culpeo zorro, Andean zorro, Andean fox, Paramo wolf,Andean wolf, and colpeo fox,is a species of South American Fox. Its not a true fox rather resembles something between Fox and Jackal.
when we were about to leave from the parking spot, it just appeared on the edge of the road and vanished. Upon getting out of the car, we found it roaming in the parking area and scavenging on leftover food packs.
After that gorgeous glacier, next destination was El Chalten, a picturesque tiny village just below the Mount Fitz Roy. The village is surrounded by jagged peaks and glaciers and is a popular destination for hikers and climbers looking to explore the area’s natural beauty. In 1877, Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno named mount Chaltén as mount Fitz Roy, in honour of Robert FitzRoy, captain during the Second voyage of HMS Beagle in the 1830s with Charles Darwin.
This little chalet of El Chalten is a tiny micro brewery that servers amazing crafted beer. It’s even greater level of fun and peace when you sit outside and gulp that glass of beer in the chill and windy evening. The wind is so strong that the light weighted food like popcorns or crisps would fly here and there.
Then came the morning which was the best morning throughout my Patagonia trip. I was just going in the flow and never had a slightest imagination that I would get to see what I saw. Though my eyes were searching for a single sight of the world’s biggest flying bird, the Andean condor. It was a blessing, that I got to see a huge flock of 15 to 20 condors hovering over my head for so long.
It’s still so recent in my memory. Like every morning, I wandered aimlessly around the area where you can see Mount Fitz Roy’s landscape as well as the Rio de las Vueltas river. I returned to this location a number of times to photograph Fitz Roy’s various daytime lighting conditions. I came across a large bird perched on a rock while exploring the area. Even though it was quite a distance away, my heart skipped a beat because I thought it might be what I’ve been searching for so desperately. Another one joined it before I had time to react. I looked up when I abruptly heard a whipping sound over my head. Just a few feet above my head, one more flew by.
(Hold on, and I need a bit of patience from you as this topic is going to be lengthy as it’s too close to my heart. I hope you get through this.)
While watching one by one Condors joining the party, suddenly this Guanaco appeared from behind and joined me for a brief moment to observe the coherence of the Condors.
Even the Guanaco is so amazed by my behavior while the condors are over my head so close that I can look into their eyes and they are looking back at me. It’s not easy to keep in frame something that has a 10-foot-wide wing spread, is massive in size, and is so close.
Again, I found myself in tears, which is typical of my behavior. This is my custom whenever I see a majestic animal for the first time, whether it be a tiger, a snow leopard, a king cobra, whales, icebergs in Antarctica, etc.
One of the reasons I went to Patagonia was to satisfy a strong desire to see it in the wild. In actuality, it goes beyond that. I had hoped to see one, but instead I am spending hours watching a full ballet of 15 to 20 Andean condors. With the magic taking place right before my eyes, I completely lost track of time.
I set the camera down briefly to observe them. I don’t want to waste my time behind the camera when it’s actually happening in front of me, as a famous person once said. I’m just standing there beaming with joy like a little girl who just got her favorite doll or candy, crying, laughing, giggling, and jumping.
The Andean condor is a symbol of freedom and resilience, soaring high above the Andes Mountains in South America. With a wingspan of up to 10 feet, this bird of prey is one of the largest flying birds in the world. Its feathers are black and white, with a distinctive ruff of white feathers around its neck. The Andean condor is an important part of the ecosystem in the Andes, helping to keep the balance by scavenging on dead animals. Unfortunately, these magnificent birds are under threat from habitat loss and hunting. Conservation efforts are underway to protect them and ensure their survival for future generations to enjoy. Only about 6,700 adult Andean condors remain in wild.
It is also a keystone species, meaning that its presence or absence can have a significant impact on other species in its habitat. By protecting the Andean condor, we are not only preserving an important cultural symbol but also helping to maintain the balance of our planet’s ecosystems. In South America, the Inca, Chibcha, and Arawak cultures all viewed the Andean condor as a representation of power and nobility.
Males are typically larger in size, and they are distinguished by having a distinctive comb on top of their heads, a thick neck wattle, and yellow eyes. Red eyes and no comb distinguish the females.
The graceful flight across the soft light of rising sun and the exquisite pattern of the the wings. It was like reading a beautiful poem that deeply touched and soothed your inner most soul. It was a moment of pure joy, a moment of pure beauty that left you in a state of bliss and harmony.
The Andean can glide for more than 160 km (100 miles) without flapping its wings because it soars on thermals which are warm uplift that rise from the land below.
People sometimes ask me, “You take pictures of so many wild animals; have you ever been scared?” Believe me, to date, I have never been scared, whether it be a tiger, leopard, huge elephant, or even a king cobra. May be the reason I keep a safe distance from them. When 15 to 20 condors hovered above my head so close that I could see the curiosity in their eyes by looking at me, it definitely scared me a bit.
It was indeed a sense of accomplishment for me to experience this massive and magnificent creation of nature. I have huge amount of gratitude towards life for gifting these memories.
