Cruise ship Black Watch was on her grand voyage around South America with the Falkland Islands included on the itinerary. That was February of 2010 and the weather was at its best.
To take advantage of the good weather West Point Island had when the ship arrived, I went ashore and spent the remainder of my free time plausibly and without some sort of pre-planning. If I planned on where to go ashore or what to do once I get there, it may only kill my overwhelming excitement. So, what I did was just went with the flow and let things happened aimlessly.
West Point Island has a small jetty which is not enough to accommodate the 205 – meter long Black Watch. So, we dropped anchor and guests/passengers arrive shore with the ship’s tenders. I was assigned to drive one of the tenders in the morning, so I had the whole afternoon to explore and experience West Point Island at my own pace.
West Point Island is a relatively small island. But with limited time, I could only ramble not too far from the jetty. And besides, the island is oozing with spectacular scenery everywhere I turned. So, there was no reason to go farther unless of course if I wanted to experience and explore West Point Island in more detail. But if time was not an issue, of course, I would have done it!
While on the island, besides simply enjoying the scenic coastal views, I had the opportunity to spot black-browed albatross and rockhopper penguins at close range. I also had the chance to meet the island’s only two residents. They are the very welcoming caretakers of the island. They treated us to tea and homemade cookies and cakes. That was a fantastic experience.
All images here are Instagram-worth shots from my Nikon D60 DSLR. I never underrated my entry-level camera, it’s one of the best cameras during that time and the only model I can afford. Nor did it came to my mind the thought of ditching it until smartphones with advanced cams get into the photography scene. That Nikon D6o is still working but I am more comfortable and happy with my phone camera, so it’s now inside the box hidden in the drawer.
West Point Island is not on my bucket list because I don’t know back then it exists. But from that day I set foot on the island, I realized I was utterly in-loved with the place.
