Temperature 5oC/41oF.
Now we go on the Zodiac cruise portion of the excursion.
We had an afternoon presentation: Swedish Antarctic Expedition: Otto Nordenskjold (by Argentinian historian Federico Gargiulo).
Conditions were right for us to have a Zodiac landing in the Danger Islands, home to perhaps the largest colony of Pygoscelis adeliae/Adélie penguins in the world, with a population of 1,500,000.
Approaching Danger Islands at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula; the islands are often surrounded by heavy fragments of ice and cannot be accessed |
Some of the "heavy ice fragments"/icebergs |
A Zodiac manuevers between smaller ice floes |
Adélie penguins are spread right up the mountainside on Heroina Island where we landed (KSS) |
An Adélie penguin sits on two eggs, which incubate in 32-34 days, and the chicks fledge after about two months |
Checking on the pair of eggs (by Coorsen) |
Adélie penguins create nests with small stones on ground free of snow |
We see another exposed egg |
The site of the penguin ingress and egress to the sea (by unknown) |
Hmm, this fellow looks like he is ready to moult |
Adélie penguins are found only in Antarctica (KSS) |
Kent & Tamiko on Heroina Island |
Adélie penguins on the go |
Stercorarius antarcticus/Antarctic or Brown Skua |
Leptonychotes weddellii/Weddell Seal is one of a species found only in the Antarctic |
Iceberg |
Another Weddell seal |
A pair of Chionis albus/Snowy Sheathbills, the only native land bird (i.e., no webbed feet) in the Antarctic |
Kent on the Zodiac, with a Weddell seal behind him |
An ice floe is carved through water erosion below the waterline until enough has melted away to cause the whole thing to flip, raising the carved section above the water |
The other side of the same iceberg, with light shining through a thinner area |
Adélie penguins prefer to moult when standing on icebergs; a decrease in sea ice is causing a decrease in their population |
After the Zodiac excursion, all the boats must be lifted by crane back onto the ship |
View from our cabin window of Danger Islands |
The afternoon Zodiac excursion at Brown Bluff was cancelled due to rough seas (winds at 45-60 knots/52-70 mph).
Brown Bluff on the Antarctic Sound |
Afternoon clouds (KSS) |
Fading rainbow (KSS) |
Of course, Charlie Wu captured the full rainbow! |
Bar Talk: Kris, the Aquatic Sea Mammal (by Kristoffer Korol, a Canadian Expedition Guide, talking about his underwater experiences).
Next: Mikkelsen Harbour.
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