Drake Passage & Aitcho Island
Morning dawned with gently rolling seas and drifting fog banks leading us ever closer to our first landing. The morning briefing on the IATTO regulations and zodiac safety set the stage. We are ready!
After lunch, Aitcho Island mysteriously emerged from the fog. The gentoo penguin chicks greeted us on the beach where they were patiently waiting for their parents to return with food. Feeding chases entertained us as we watched each chick hurry after its parent cheeping demandingly. The other freeloading chicks looking for a quick meal gave up and went back to waiting for their own parent to arrive.
The Oceanites crew counted each and every gentoo chick on the island last week finding that there were 2,618 chicks looking fat and happy. Today we counted all the chinstrap penguin chicks. Looks like both species have found sufficient food this year and chicks are everywhere! Scrambling up the rocky cliffs to find all the chinstrap chicks hiding under rocks made us really wish for strong penguin toenails on our boots to help us follow the birds up the slippery rocks.
The sun played hide and seek with the fog, making the rich contrasts of black and white birds, green prasiola and mosses even more striking. Pink and white guano stripes added another dimension to the landscape. The photographers had a blast! A fabulous first look at the wonders of Antarctica!
Morning dawned with gently rolling seas and drifting fog banks leading us ever closer to our first landing. The morning briefing on the IATTO regulations and zodiac safety set the stage. We are ready!
After lunch, Aitcho Island mysteriously emerged from the fog. The gentoo penguin chicks greeted us on the beach where they were patiently waiting for their parents to return with food. Feeding chases entertained us as we watched each chick hurry after its parent cheeping demandingly. The other freeloading chicks looking for a quick meal gave up and went back to waiting for their own parent to arrive.
The Oceanites crew counted each and every gentoo chick on the island last week finding that there were 2,618 chicks looking fat and happy. Today we counted all the chinstrap penguin chicks. Looks like both species have found sufficient food this year and chicks are everywhere! Scrambling up the rocky cliffs to find all the chinstrap chicks hiding under rocks made us really wish for strong penguin toenails on our boots to help us follow the birds up the slippery rocks.
The sun played hide and seek with the fog, making the rich contrasts of black and white birds, green prasiola and mosses even more striking. Pink and white guano stripes added another dimension to the landscape. The photographers had a blast! A fabulous first look at the wonders of Antarctica!
