At Sea
Heading north now in the Drake Passage, National Geographic Endeavour has left the white continent in her wake. The ship is a melancholy version of its normally bustling self, as we download our photos and talk amongst ourselves, reminiscing about the astonishing adventure we have been on.
Antarctica has so many special attributes, but one of the most interesting and least likely to be experienced is the underwater world. A common misconception of Antarctic waters is that because it is so cold (between 28¢ª and 32¢ªF), naught could survive there. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in stark contrast to the largely black and white world above the surface, the benthic community is full of colors. Anemones, Sea Cucumbers, Sea Squirts, and Nudibranches in purples, oranges, reds, and yellows line the bottom, and are found in numbers to rival any coral reef. It is a truly diverse and resilient part of Antarctica.
Almost all life in Antarctica relies on the seas surrounding it for food. The penguins are leaving their nests daily, heading out to sea for fish and squid to bring back for their hungry and ever growing chicks. Humpback whales abound this time of year, bubble-net feeding in the bays and channels surrounding the Peninsula. Krill is their staple food source, and not only are the whales eating it, but also penguins and seals.
The most feared of the seals in Antarctica is the Leopard Seal. A krill eater by nature, the back teeth form a sieve to strain the water of its precious cargo when it is taken into the mouth. But honestly, most of us do not look towards the back of the mouth, when the front teeth are so prominent. During the summer months, when there is plenty of traffic in and out of the penguin colonies, the Leopard Seal will lie in wait, sometimes taking up to 13 penguins a day, but this is a diet of convenience. The most graceful of swimmers, true seals like these usually only swim with their rear flippers, however the Leopard Seal also uses its fore flippers, creating a fluid motion very similar to sea lions – only faster. They are solitary seals, and compared to other seal species in Antarctica, little is known about them, perhaps why they are misunderstood on a lot of levels.
I am not sure any of us realized what we were “getting ourselves into” when we signed up for a trip to Antarctica, a place that is only truly experienced first hand. Ahead of us lies the biggest challenge, trying to convey the many extraordinary stories to our friends and family back home.
Heading north now in the Drake Passage, National Geographic Endeavour has left the white continent in her wake. The ship is a melancholy version of its normally bustling self, as we download our photos and talk amongst ourselves, reminiscing about the astonishing adventure we have been on.
Antarctica has so many special attributes, but one of the most interesting and least likely to be experienced is the underwater world. A common misconception of Antarctic waters is that because it is so cold (between 28¢ª and 32¢ªF), naught could survive there. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in stark contrast to the largely black and white world above the surface, the benthic community is full of colors. Anemones, Sea Cucumbers, Sea Squirts, and Nudibranches in purples, oranges, reds, and yellows line the bottom, and are found in numbers to rival any coral reef. It is a truly diverse and resilient part of Antarctica.
Almost all life in Antarctica relies on the seas surrounding it for food. The penguins are leaving their nests daily, heading out to sea for fish and squid to bring back for their hungry and ever growing chicks. Humpback whales abound this time of year, bubble-net feeding in the bays and channels surrounding the Peninsula. Krill is their staple food source, and not only are the whales eating it, but also penguins and seals.
The most feared of the seals in Antarctica is the Leopard Seal. A krill eater by nature, the back teeth form a sieve to strain the water of its precious cargo when it is taken into the mouth. But honestly, most of us do not look towards the back of the mouth, when the front teeth are so prominent. During the summer months, when there is plenty of traffic in and out of the penguin colonies, the Leopard Seal will lie in wait, sometimes taking up to 13 penguins a day, but this is a diet of convenience. The most graceful of swimmers, true seals like these usually only swim with their rear flippers, however the Leopard Seal also uses its fore flippers, creating a fluid motion very similar to sea lions – only faster. They are solitary seals, and compared to other seal species in Antarctica, little is known about them, perhaps why they are misunderstood on a lot of levels.
I am not sure any of us realized what we were “getting ourselves into” when we signed up for a trip to Antarctica, a place that is only truly experienced first hand. Ahead of us lies the biggest challenge, trying to convey the many extraordinary stories to our friends and family back home.
