The Perito Moreno Glacier – Patagonia, Argentina

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentinian Patagonia. This 250 km2, 30 km (19 mi) in length, ice formation is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. The glacier is unusual in that it is advancing, while most glaciers worldwide are retreating.

Pressures from the weight of the ice slowly pushes the glacier over the southern arm (“Brazo Rico”) of Argentino Lake, damming the section and separating it from the rest of the lake. With no outlet, the water level on the “Brazo Rico” side of the lake can rise by as much as 30 meters above the level of the main body of Argentino Lake. Intermittently, the pressure produced by the height of the dammed water breaks through the ice barrier causing a spectacular rupture, sending a massive outpouring of water from the Brazo Rico section to the main body of Lake Argentino. As the water exits Brazo Rico, the scored shoreline is exposed, showing evidence of the height of the water build-up. This dam–ice-bridge–rupture cycle recurs naturally between once a year to less than once a decade.

Such rapture phenomenon is captured on this awesome postcard.

Patagonia Postcard

Argentina Stamps

QSL Card from Argentina

I received this cool QSL card from amateur radio enthusiast in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Not your typical touristic postcard, yet has Argentinian tango going, I assume, on the streets of Argentina 🙂 Awesome!

And here are the stamps that were on the envelope it came in. I really like that couple of communication stamps were used to match card’s theme.

Argentina Stamps

Gentoo penguins of Argentina

Argentina is home to four species of penguin: Rockhopper, Macaroni, Magellanic and Gentoo penguins. The long-tailed gentoo penguins, pictured on this postcard, have recently established two very small breeding colonies in Argentina. These are situated on Staten Island (30 pairs) and Hammer Island (5 pairs). Hammer Island is easy to reach from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego — the southernmost city in the world, where you can find several tour operators offering day cruises to view penguins and other marine life.