Aitcho Island
Excitement grew throughout the day as we approached landfall in Antarctica. Watching sea birds, learning about penguin lifestyles and spotting icebergs and humpback whales filled our moments until solid ground was first spied.
We reached the English Strait in the South Shetland archipelago by mid afternoon. Expedition Leader Tom Ritchie chose Aitcho Island for our first Antarctic landing. Named after the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office, the island’s name is pronounced phonetically, “H. O.” With an eye-pleasing backdrop of glaciers, icebergs and rugged nearby islands, we walked amongst a wonderland of penguins (gentoo and chinstrap), snowy sheathbills, southern giant petrels, skuas, Antarctic terns and other birds. Many were on nests with chicks, and a fascinating array of behaviors was observed.
Equally as compelling were the seals, many of which were hauled out on Whalebone Beach. Bellowing, snorting, roaring, grunting and groaning southern elephant seals in various stages of molt were littered, singly and in groups, among nesting gentoos. Drippy snouts confirmed the presence of nasal mites, and aggressive behavior among the huge pinnipeds provided a lesson in elephant seal etiquette. Chinstraps, such as the one checking out the seal in the photo, passed through the scene as they commuted between their nests and the ocean. A few Weddell’s seals were spotted resting quietly above the intertidal zone, as was a leopard seal.
Taking advantage of long Antarctic daylight hours, we visited adjacent Robert Island after dinner. Nearly surrounded by the face of a massive tidewater glacier, Mitchell Cove is a scenic delight.
Excitement grew throughout the day as we approached landfall in Antarctica. Watching sea birds, learning about penguin lifestyles and spotting icebergs and humpback whales filled our moments until solid ground was first spied.
We reached the English Strait in the South Shetland archipelago by mid afternoon. Expedition Leader Tom Ritchie chose Aitcho Island for our first Antarctic landing. Named after the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office, the island’s name is pronounced phonetically, “H. O.” With an eye-pleasing backdrop of glaciers, icebergs and rugged nearby islands, we walked amongst a wonderland of penguins (gentoo and chinstrap), snowy sheathbills, southern giant petrels, skuas, Antarctic terns and other birds. Many were on nests with chicks, and a fascinating array of behaviors was observed.
Equally as compelling were the seals, many of which were hauled out on Whalebone Beach. Bellowing, snorting, roaring, grunting and groaning southern elephant seals in various stages of molt were littered, singly and in groups, among nesting gentoos. Drippy snouts confirmed the presence of nasal mites, and aggressive behavior among the huge pinnipeds provided a lesson in elephant seal etiquette. Chinstraps, such as the one checking out the seal in the photo, passed through the scene as they commuted between their nests and the ocean. A few Weddell’s seals were spotted resting quietly above the intertidal zone, as was a leopard seal.
Taking advantage of long Antarctic daylight hours, we visited adjacent Robert Island after dinner. Nearly surrounded by the face of a massive tidewater glacier, Mitchell Cove is a scenic delight.
