2022 Antarctica: Shag Rocks (12/10/2022)

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Temperature 3^oC/37^oF.

After two and a half days of not seeing land,
we approached Shag Rocks shortly after breakfast

If the seas were calm enough, we would have sailed between
the two groups of islets jutting from the sea

Although we are in the South Atlantic Ocean, we have been sailing in what is known as the Scotia Sea that lies above the small tectonic Scotia Plate. Shag Rocks is part of the South Georgia Ridge that also forms South Georgia Island, 369 km/229 miles away.

Instead we sailed completely around Shag Rocks

Do you see the Pachyptila desolata/Antarctic Prions
flying above the water? No, because they are the color the
US Navy decided to match when painting their ships (!)

Pachyptila turtur/Fairy Prion (by Charlie Wu);
most Prions feature the W-shape marking
across their wings

Daption capense/Cape Petrel (by Charlie Wu)

There are actually six islets that have no vegetation,
but plenty of guano, since it is a nesting site for the
Leucocarbo georgianus/South Georgia Shag,
the Diomedea exulans/Wandering Albatross,
and Pachyptila sp/Prions (KSS)

Leucocarbo georgianus/South Georgia Shag
(a shag is what we call a cormorant)

The cormorants swooped around the boat in large numbers

All those black dots on the rocks are seabirds

Leucocarbo georgianus/South Georgia Shag
or Blue-eyed Shag (by Charlie Wu)

A better photo of the nesting birds on Shag Rocks
(by Byron Woo)

Another view as we circumnavigate Shag Rocks

A peek into the bridge; tours of the bridge have
been cancelled since the pandemic

The morning presentation was Penguins: A Natural History (by French ornithologist Fabrice Genevois).

After lunch the presentation was Photography Tricks (by Belgian photographer Yves Adams).

Following Afternoon Tea, the scheduled presentation was postponed so that FIFA fans could listen to the audio feed of the quarterfinal match between England and France, won by France. It was not possible to get a good visual feed of the soccer matches.

The Evening Bar Talk was How Whales Get Their Names (by Russian marine biologist Grigory Tsidulko).

This is still the view from our cabin window while "At Sea"

Next: Salisbury Plain.