February 9, 2025
PUERTO DESEADO, ARGENTINA

Puerto Deseado is a sleepy little town that gets 1 cruise ship, every 3 months. There is not a lot to do there, but it is home to a large colony of Rock Jumper penguins, seen here. We have to tender in from this port and wave swells are so high that it is not safe for us to tender to port our second day there. This was a bummer for us because a group of about 30 of us had planned and excursion out to see the rock hoppers up close and personal. Several others got to see them on our first port day, so we have their photo's to live vicariously. We did get some amazing sunsets and rainbows the last couple of days despite the choppy seas.

On our last full day in Uepi, all six of us went for a snorkel at nearby reef called Dekudekuru . The reef has many protected, shallow & deep water pools, made within coral crevices, where the shifting earth or plate tectonics below, have risen over years. It was fun exploring all the nooks and crannies and seeing the way the sun shone through - it was a gorgeous day! These photo's from Kelly's show scene, since none of us have an underwater camera, yet!

Other activities we did in UEPI included hiking in rainforest, kayaking, snorkeling and diving. Our scuba lessons were spectacular this time!! Jill and Grant Kelly, the 75 year old founder's of Uepi were our personal teachers. Grant did the classroom review with us and fitted us with our gear. Jill taught us all the water skills and was with me the whole time! These lessons were exactly what I hoped for! Super informative, calm and totally hands on - I never felt unsafe or overwhelmed and really enjoyed the whole experience.







