2022 Antarctica: Antarctic Peninsula, Danger Islands (12/15/2022)

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Temperature 5^oC/41^oF.

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

Now we go on the Zodiac cruise portion of the excursion.

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

We had an afternoon presentation: Swedish Antarctic Expedition: Otto Nordenskjold (by Argentinian historian Federico Gargiulo).

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.