Off the South Shetland Islands and Aitcho Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctica. Icebergs. Penguins. "The Ice." For some reason, this continent calls to me, and therefore, once again for the 18th year, I have heeded the call and have made the long journey south. Our first sign, a glimpse of what lies beyond, was a piece of ice so fantastic I cannot believe it. Calved from a massive ice sheet probably hundreds of miles to the southwest, this iceberg holds history in its layers, compressed time in a floating book. Thousands of pages tell an epic story if only we had the time and the wisdom to read them.
The South Shetland Islands are packed with an abundance of bird life. Situated at the northern reaches of the Antarctic continent and the southern realm of the wild and windy Drake Passage, the peninsula is middle ground for both temperate and polar bird species.
Chinstrap penguins are true Antarctic Peninsula birds and are at home in the frigid waters offshore here. Obtaining their food and making a living from the Southern Ocean, "chinnies" are one of the three brush-tailed or Pygoscelid penguins, along with the Adelie and the Gentoo. Chinstraps oftentimes rest on drifting pack ice or on icebergs floating far from land, effectively areas of calm many miles from their home.
This iceberg provided us with excellent views of chinstrap penguins as well as several other species of flying birds as we circumnavigated the berg for our first glimpse of Nature's compressed snow which yields fanciful shapes and carved arches and eroded crevasses.
Antarctica is home to millions of penguins and is a Mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, and icebergs are a trademark of the continent as a whole. It is a weird and wonderful seascape, full of frozen treats and surprises and to see chinstrap penguins at home on this sculpture in the sea is not only a privilege, but also a hint of what treasures lay ahead.The little voices of Antarctica call to me. We heed their call.
Antarctica. Icebergs. Penguins. "The Ice." For some reason, this continent calls to me, and therefore, once again for the 18th year, I have heeded the call and have made the long journey south. Our first sign, a glimpse of what lies beyond, was a piece of ice so fantastic I cannot believe it. Calved from a massive ice sheet probably hundreds of miles to the southwest, this iceberg holds history in its layers, compressed time in a floating book. Thousands of pages tell an epic story if only we had the time and the wisdom to read them.
The South Shetland Islands are packed with an abundance of bird life. Situated at the northern reaches of the Antarctic continent and the southern realm of the wild and windy Drake Passage, the peninsula is middle ground for both temperate and polar bird species.
Chinstrap penguins are true Antarctic Peninsula birds and are at home in the frigid waters offshore here. Obtaining their food and making a living from the Southern Ocean, "chinnies" are one of the three brush-tailed or Pygoscelid penguins, along with the Adelie and the Gentoo. Chinstraps oftentimes rest on drifting pack ice or on icebergs floating far from land, effectively areas of calm many miles from their home.
This iceberg provided us with excellent views of chinstrap penguins as well as several other species of flying birds as we circumnavigated the berg for our first glimpse of Nature's compressed snow which yields fanciful shapes and carved arches and eroded crevasses.
Antarctica is home to millions of penguins and is a Mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, and icebergs are a trademark of the continent as a whole. It is a weird and wonderful seascape, full of frozen treats and surprises and to see chinstrap penguins at home on this sculpture in the sea is not only a privilege, but also a hint of what treasures lay ahead.
