Gentoo Penguin Preening, Port Lockroy, Antarctica
This morning found us approaching tiny Cuverville Island, little more than a dome of bare rock that guards the entrance to the Errera channel, surrounded by the sharp peaks of the Antarctic Peninsula. Cuverville is home to one of the largest Gentoo Penguin colonies in the entire region, and we could see long lines of birds trudging up through steep snow to get to their nest sites hundreds of feet above the shore.
Besides providing a vital nest area for Gentoos, Cuverville is also a splendid place for icebergs – and the shallows on the island’s west side were littered with bergs of every size and shape. Taking to the Zodiacs, we spent several hours exploring – discovering natural arches of ice, and wave-shaped caves of lilac and morning glory blue. We also stumbled onto a female leopard seal, resting on a small ice floe just offshore. Leopard seals, of course, are penguin predators – and they are almost always present at Cuverville, picking off unwary penguins as they come to and from the colony. We approached very closely in the Zodiacs, close enough to see, as she yawned, her enormous gape, and sharp teeth.
During lunch we passed through the Neumayer Channel, continuing south through calm seas and light snowfall. Within a short time we had arrived at Port Lockroy, site of a small, restored research station built and maintained by the British Antarctic Survey. Before we could go ashore, however, we needed to “park” the ship. To accomplish this, Captain Skog simply nudged the Endeavour into the “fast ice,” sea ice connected to the shore, until it was held tight and secure. Then, we simply had to lower the gangway and step off onto the ice itself. A short walk across the ice, and a brief Zodiac ride, led many of us to the station, with its tiny post office/gift shop. Postcards mailed here will be postmarked “Port Lockroy” and may –one day – reach their destination (typically 1-2 months later).
There was plenty of wildlife at Port Lockroy as well, including Blue-eyed Shags, Weddell Seals, and thousands of nesting Gentoo Penguins. This fellow above had just emerged from the sea, and was having a quick scratch before heading off to the colony and taking his/her turn at incubating the eggs.
Sailing once more, the Endeavour passed through the icy straits of the Lemaire Channel, a stunning passage between sheer rock walls and tumbling glacial icefalls. Dinner time came and went, and yet most of us could hardly tear ourselves away from the pageant of sculpted icebergs and shifting light that lasted throughout the evening and into the endless dusk.
This morning found us approaching tiny Cuverville Island, little more than a dome of bare rock that guards the entrance to the Errera channel, surrounded by the sharp peaks of the Antarctic Peninsula. Cuverville is home to one of the largest Gentoo Penguin colonies in the entire region, and we could see long lines of birds trudging up through steep snow to get to their nest sites hundreds of feet above the shore.
Besides providing a vital nest area for Gentoos, Cuverville is also a splendid place for icebergs – and the shallows on the island’s west side were littered with bergs of every size and shape. Taking to the Zodiacs, we spent several hours exploring – discovering natural arches of ice, and wave-shaped caves of lilac and morning glory blue. We also stumbled onto a female leopard seal, resting on a small ice floe just offshore. Leopard seals, of course, are penguin predators – and they are almost always present at Cuverville, picking off unwary penguins as they come to and from the colony. We approached very closely in the Zodiacs, close enough to see, as she yawned, her enormous gape, and sharp teeth.
During lunch we passed through the Neumayer Channel, continuing south through calm seas and light snowfall. Within a short time we had arrived at Port Lockroy, site of a small, restored research station built and maintained by the British Antarctic Survey. Before we could go ashore, however, we needed to “park” the ship. To accomplish this, Captain Skog simply nudged the Endeavour into the “fast ice,” sea ice connected to the shore, until it was held tight and secure. Then, we simply had to lower the gangway and step off onto the ice itself. A short walk across the ice, and a brief Zodiac ride, led many of us to the station, with its tiny post office/gift shop. Postcards mailed here will be postmarked “Port Lockroy” and may –one day – reach their destination (typically 1-2 months later).
There was plenty of wildlife at Port Lockroy as well, including Blue-eyed Shags, Weddell Seals, and thousands of nesting Gentoo Penguins. This fellow above had just emerged from the sea, and was having a quick scratch before heading off to the colony and taking his/her turn at incubating the eggs.
Sailing once more, the Endeavour passed through the icy straits of the Lemaire Channel, a stunning passage between sheer rock walls and tumbling glacial icefalls. Dinner time came and went, and yet most of us could hardly tear ourselves away from the pageant of sculpted icebergs and shifting light that lasted throughout the evening and into the endless dusk.
