2022 Antarctica: South Georgia Island, St Andrew's Bay (12/12/2022)

Monday, December 12, 2022

Temperature 4^oC/39^oF.

Breakfast today was at 5:00-6:00 and we were ready to board the Zodiacs at 6:00! We visited St Andrew's Bay, site of the largest King penguin colony on South Georgia Island, with an estimated 170,000 pairs.

Our greeter was an immature
King penguin whose coloration was
still yellow and not orange (KSS)

Looking out over St Andrew's Bay  (KSS)

There were more "dunes" to climb on this beach, and being
wet and muddy, there were a couple people who slipped

King penguin with a "fur collar"

WOW! Hundreds of thousands of King penguins! (by unknown)

Seemingly endless King penguins in the snow (KSS)

More of those "wooly" penguins

Well-insulated chick coated with snow
(by James Moult)

The sun reflected off the shiny feathers

Flapping penguin may be trying to cool himself

More King penguins inland from the bay

Tamiko & Kent (by Kyle)

We returned to the Zodiacs on the beach for a cruise along St Andrew's Bay. But the engine sputtered out. It could be restarted, but the driver was not comfortable taking us on a cruise. He called another Zodiac that pulled up alongside us, and they were hooked together with carabiners. The passengers then had to sit on the adjoining side, swing the legs around and scoot over to the new boat. It was fairly easily and successfully accomplished, and we began our "cruise."

After the landing at St Andrew's Bay, we took a
Zodiac cruise farther along from the beach.

Waterfall runoff from a glacier

Macronectes giganteus/Southern Giant Petrels have a
feeding frenzy on a penguin carcass in a mass of
Durvillaea antarctica/Southern Bull Kelp, where the
Hydrurga leptonyx/Leopard Seal typically hides
to catch an unsuspecting penguin

More Bull Kelp along the water's edge

These are the Muck Boots we wear (yes, mismatched pairs),
which are heavy but definitely waterproof!

View from our cabin window with a small iceberg (KSS)

Next: Royal Bay.