Antarctica - Marguerite Bay: Red Rock Ridge & Pourquoi Pas Island

Thursday, 20 February 2020

We finally reached Antarctica - Marguerite Bay, well below the Antarctic Circle. We were able to get to such a low latitude because it was the end of the summer, and ice is at its annual minimum.

I added this image to put our voyage in perspective. Antarctica is a deceptively large continent - about twice the size of the lower-48 states. (Base image from coolantarctia.com)

As we approached Marguerite Bay, we got our first sights of the forbidding Antarctic Peninsula. The landscape is mostly monochrome in blue and white.

Our excursions are all by Zodiac boats, which are stored on the top deck of our ship.

The number of persons allowed on land at each site is tightly regulated and is limited to between 50 and 100. Typically, half the passengers get a Zodiac cruise while the other half are on shore. Then the groups switch.

Our first look at penguins. At the site, Red Rock Ridge, they are all adelie penguins.

As the summer progresses, more green algae grows in the remaining ice. Occasionally there is some pink algae as well. Penguin poop adds a bit more pink to the landscape. Despite the stark landscape, this is a multi-sensory experience: the photos don't capture the sounds and odors!

Adelie penguins.

Adelie penguin.

At the end of the breeding season, the adult penguins molt. You can see the shed feathers at the left. During this time the penguins are very vulnerable - they use an enormous amount of energy to grow new feathers, but they cannot enter the water to eat. Their new set of feathers will serve them well for a full year, at sea and through next year's breeding season.

It's not all penguins. This is a skua - adult and chick. Skuas predate penguin eggs and chicks, as well as scavenge and steal food from other birds.

While anchored in a small bay on Pourquoi Pas Island (literally, "Why Not?" Island), we had an evening Zodiac tour. Glaciers meeting the Southern Ocean was a common sight throughout our trip.