Brown Bluff & Paulet Island
Buried treasures awaited us this morning as we made our way ashore at Brown Bluff. Paralleling the beach, we walked towards the Adelie penguin colony. The "off duty" Adelies waddled back and forth along the shore periodically taking to the water to go fishing. On higher ground away from the action of the surf and tides, a smattering of gentoo penguins laid buried in the snow guarding their eggs. Even with gusting winds and drifting snow these birds are tied to their nest by instinct. They won't budge until their mate comes back from their feeding foray at sea.
Amongst the floating ice along the shore a leopard seal lurked. Although krill makes up the majority of their diet in winter, penguin appears on their menu during the austral spring and summer months. Leopard seals often show up in areas where colonies of penguins take up residency.
During the afternoon we cruised to Paulet Island. The first thing that comes to ones mind is that you couldn't possibly pack one more Adelie penguin nest on this rocky landscape. Blue eyed shags managed to carve out a small piece of real estate on the hillside. However, the Adelies outnumbered them by the thousands.
White sheathbills did their job as the "garbage" crew carefully navigating amongst the penguins for fresh guano and searching for leftovers along the beach. Although their dining habits make for a messy meal, they keep themselves snowy white by bathing in the sea.
Buried treasures awaited us this morning as we made our way ashore at Brown Bluff. Paralleling the beach, we walked towards the Adelie penguin colony. The "off duty" Adelies waddled back and forth along the shore periodically taking to the water to go fishing. On higher ground away from the action of the surf and tides, a smattering of gentoo penguins laid buried in the snow guarding their eggs. Even with gusting winds and drifting snow these birds are tied to their nest by instinct. They won't budge until their mate comes back from their feeding foray at sea.
Amongst the floating ice along the shore a leopard seal lurked. Although krill makes up the majority of their diet in winter, penguin appears on their menu during the austral spring and summer months. Leopard seals often show up in areas where colonies of penguins take up residency.
During the afternoon we cruised to Paulet Island. The first thing that comes to ones mind is that you couldn't possibly pack one more Adelie penguin nest on this rocky landscape. Blue eyed shags managed to carve out a small piece of real estate on the hillside. However, the Adelies outnumbered them by the thousands.
White sheathbills did their job as the "garbage" crew carefully navigating amongst the penguins for fresh guano and searching for leftovers along the beach. Although their dining habits make for a messy meal, they keep themselves snowy white by bathing in the sea.
