Fortuna Bay / Hercules Bay
Plans do not always work in a clear, linear fashion. Our return to Fortuna Bay after being dropped off in the same body of water yesterday (the start to our 4-mile “Shackleton Journey” from Fortuna to Stromness Harbor) was unexpected but much appreciated after exploring the site.
Since yesterday’s hike began on the east side of this north-facing bay we took time today to explore the west-side which is known for its medium-sized King penguin colony (7,000 pairs), small gentoo penguin colony, reindeer herds, fur and elephant seal haul-outs and nesting Light Mantled Sooty Albatross sites. Other than albatross we were greeted with all the mentioned species and a nice break in the weather. With overcast skies but no rain, we marched south across an open glacial outwash plain and braided streams marking the former extent of Konig glacier.
Around 100 years ago this glacier extended at least two kilometers further into the bay and supported the weight and determination of three ill-prepared hikers on the last leg of a journey to find help for 22 comrades waiting 800 miles to the west. These days it is home to our aforementioned King penguin colony and offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and a surprising array of color- greens (grasses, mosses, algae), oranges (lichen, King penguin feathers) and teals (glacial melt-water, Blue-eyed shag eyes).
In addition to color was the conspicuous lack of color in one of the King’s plumage. Referred to as melanism, we came across an individual lacking not only the characteristic white chest of a King penguin but the majority of its orange markings as well. Dressed from tail to tongue in dark gray plumage this bird was a hit among everyone ashore and proved, upon further research, to be an exceptionally rare sighting. Suggestions site that perhaps one in every couple hundred thousand individuals will have this avian equivalent of excessive melanin.
To counter this rare melanistic sighting we also came across another rare trait in the animal world- a leucistic fur seal pup. Unlike melanism, leucism is the ABSENCE of pigmentation in the plumage or coat of an animal and right at our landing this morning we had the privilege of watching a very popular, with us and the other pups, all blond fur seal romp around in the water like the rest of the gang. Not to be confused with albinism, this little guy had dark brown eyes and all the other mannerisms/looks of the other fur seals only this trait is more in the order of one in every ten thousand.
Leaving Fortuna for the last time this trip, we made our way around the corner to an unexpectedly dramatic site called Hercules Bay. Hemmed in on all sides by 2,000 foot vertical walls of tortured geology, the u-shaped bay is part of the Cumberland Bay formation and hosts a number of elegant waterfalls down its face as well as numerous sea caves, kelp beds, and plenty of birds. The most abundant were the couple thousand nesting macaroni penguins that dot the clinging tussock grass and ply in and out of the crashing surf.
With Zodiacs our easiest mode of transport in this vertical landscape, we took in the scenery from sea level this afternoon, a wonderful vantage point for such tiny, bouncing boats.
