Avian Hedgehog or Molting Adélie Penguin at Paulet Island
Today was a day of ice and penguins. We entered the Weddell Sea in the middle of the night. To the dismay of many an explorer, a huge oceanic eddy concentrates ice in this body of water. Ice conditions vary from year to year, and this year it has been particularly heavy. True to expectation, the ice was so impressive that Matt, our Expedition Leader, gave an early wake-up call to those who were courageous and esthetically-minded. The sky was soft and grey as a dove's wing, the sea was smooth enough to walk on, and the ice seemed to glow with inner light. Icebergs called to mind ruined castles, waxen arroyos, or Soviet apartment blocks. At first the world seemed stripped of color, rendered only in black and glaucous hues, but then the sun added golden tones to the sky, and, rising, changed vanilla hills to dreamsicle.
Approaching Paulet Island, we saw what seemed to be great rafts of seaweed floating in the water. Drawing nearer, we were amazed to realize that these were banks of penguins! Thousands rafted in busy floating flocks, and thousands topped flat bergs, packed together like a Tokyo commute. While multitudes lay off of Paulet, there were still a few to greet us as we landed. In fact, about one hundred thousand pairs are thought to nest here. The crowds, the cacophony, and the smell were all powerful experiences. These penguins, Adélies, are early nesters, so their chicks were good sized and no longer confined to the nest. Stoic fuzz balls, they await their parents' return from the sea. Then begins a comic bumbling chase, as the adult flees a collection of chicks, ensuring that only the most persistent chick - it's own, and usually the hungriest of a pair - is fed. We enjoyed many a chuckle at these manic races, yet nearby lay the partially-picked carcasses of less fortunate chicks, and we witnessed several merciless skua attacks. In nature, ecstasy and horror are often side by side.
By afternoon, we had reached Brown Bluff, named for imposing volcanic cliffs. Here, it was interesting to compare the comparatively placid Gentoo colonies with the frenetic Adélies. Even the background color was different. Adélies, dedicated krill feeders, nest in areas that become pinker as the season progresses. Gentoos, whose diet also includes fish and squid, nest in rings of white. Many Adelie chicks were so old that they were shedding their downy plumage to reveal sleek first year plumage. They tend to shed from top to bottom, giving them comical moptops, mohawks, or fluffy dorsal fins. Some, nearly down free, were ready for their inaugural swims. We saw them gathering at the water's edge. They seemed eager to go, but reluctant to leave. At last, with duck-like calls, they plunged, and discovered their true selves, underwater fliers. Elsewhere we discovered other avian delights. Some climbed up to a bouldery slope to find the nest of the lovely Snow petrel. And up the beach, we watched dozens of pretty Pintado petrels bathing and picking food from the shallows.
Our day ended as it had begun. We cruised among a labyrinth of vast bergs. We marveled at the size, the variety and the color of the bergs, and at our good fortune in seeing them.
Today was a day of ice and penguins. We entered the Weddell Sea in the middle of the night. To the dismay of many an explorer, a huge oceanic eddy concentrates ice in this body of water. Ice conditions vary from year to year, and this year it has been particularly heavy. True to expectation, the ice was so impressive that Matt, our Expedition Leader, gave an early wake-up call to those who were courageous and esthetically-minded. The sky was soft and grey as a dove's wing, the sea was smooth enough to walk on, and the ice seemed to glow with inner light. Icebergs called to mind ruined castles, waxen arroyos, or Soviet apartment blocks. At first the world seemed stripped of color, rendered only in black and glaucous hues, but then the sun added golden tones to the sky, and, rising, changed vanilla hills to dreamsicle.
Approaching Paulet Island, we saw what seemed to be great rafts of seaweed floating in the water. Drawing nearer, we were amazed to realize that these were banks of penguins! Thousands rafted in busy floating flocks, and thousands topped flat bergs, packed together like a Tokyo commute. While multitudes lay off of Paulet, there were still a few to greet us as we landed. In fact, about one hundred thousand pairs are thought to nest here. The crowds, the cacophony, and the smell were all powerful experiences. These penguins, Adélies, are early nesters, so their chicks were good sized and no longer confined to the nest. Stoic fuzz balls, they await their parents' return from the sea. Then begins a comic bumbling chase, as the adult flees a collection of chicks, ensuring that only the most persistent chick - it's own, and usually the hungriest of a pair - is fed. We enjoyed many a chuckle at these manic races, yet nearby lay the partially-picked carcasses of less fortunate chicks, and we witnessed several merciless skua attacks. In nature, ecstasy and horror are often side by side.
By afternoon, we had reached Brown Bluff, named for imposing volcanic cliffs. Here, it was interesting to compare the comparatively placid Gentoo colonies with the frenetic Adélies. Even the background color was different. Adélies, dedicated krill feeders, nest in areas that become pinker as the season progresses. Gentoos, whose diet also includes fish and squid, nest in rings of white. Many Adelie chicks were so old that they were shedding their downy plumage to reveal sleek first year plumage. They tend to shed from top to bottom, giving them comical moptops, mohawks, or fluffy dorsal fins. Some, nearly down free, were ready for their inaugural swims. We saw them gathering at the water's edge. They seemed eager to go, but reluctant to leave. At last, with duck-like calls, they plunged, and discovered their true selves, underwater fliers. Elsewhere we discovered other avian delights. Some climbed up to a bouldery slope to find the nest of the lovely Snow petrel. And up the beach, we watched dozens of pretty Pintado petrels bathing and picking food from the shallows.
Our day ended as it had begun. We cruised among a labyrinth of vast bergs. We marveled at the size, the variety and the color of the bergs, and at our good fortune in seeing them.
