Brown Bluff and Devil Island, Antarctica
During the night we crossed the Bransfield Strait to reach Antarctic Sound, at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we found what we have come so far to see: ice, penguins, and the Antarctic Continent. At Brown Bluff volcanic cliffs of basalt topped with layers of volcanic ejecta soar two thousand feet above the landing. Large glaciers empty into Antarctic Sound on either side of the site, and large tabular bergs, remnants of the recent breakup of the ice sheets of the Antarctic Peninsula, floated all around us. We landed, and thus set foot on the Antarctic Continent. We were greeted by the Parade of Penguins – Adelie penguins marching purposefully along the beach, coming and going, ever busy. At spots chosen for reasons known only to the birds the lead penguins would halt by the shore, those behind would push forward, and soon a crowd had accumulated. Their need to leave to bring food to the hungry young waiting at the colony was conflicted by the sure knowledge that leopard seals were lurking in the sea just offshore to take a toll of passing penguins. Soon, the drive to depart and feed prevailed. A murmuring of vocalization swept through the group and, with a coordinated rush, they dove and tumbled into the sea and set out in search of krill.
Brown Bluff and Devil Island both support large breeding colonies of Adelie penguins (and, at Brown Bluff, smaller numbers of gentoos.) Most of the downy chicks are now too large to fit beneath the attending parent. It was a wonderful time to simply sit and watch, taking in the behaviors of penguin society, watching the interactions between and among birds. Many found that, if they sat quietly and patiently, the curious penguins would approach, and it was often a question just who was watching whom and wondering about their curious behaviors.
During the night we crossed the Bransfield Strait to reach Antarctic Sound, at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we found what we have come so far to see: ice, penguins, and the Antarctic Continent. At Brown Bluff volcanic cliffs of basalt topped with layers of volcanic ejecta soar two thousand feet above the landing. Large glaciers empty into Antarctic Sound on either side of the site, and large tabular bergs, remnants of the recent breakup of the ice sheets of the Antarctic Peninsula, floated all around us. We landed, and thus set foot on the Antarctic Continent. We were greeted by the Parade of Penguins – Adelie penguins marching purposefully along the beach, coming and going, ever busy. At spots chosen for reasons known only to the birds the lead penguins would halt by the shore, those behind would push forward, and soon a crowd had accumulated. Their need to leave to bring food to the hungry young waiting at the colony was conflicted by the sure knowledge that leopard seals were lurking in the sea just offshore to take a toll of passing penguins. Soon, the drive to depart and feed prevailed. A murmuring of vocalization swept through the group and, with a coordinated rush, they dove and tumbled into the sea and set out in search of krill.
Brown Bluff and Devil Island both support large breeding colonies of Adelie penguins (and, at Brown Bluff, smaller numbers of gentoos.) Most of the downy chicks are now too large to fit beneath the attending parent. It was a wonderful time to simply sit and watch, taking in the behaviors of penguin society, watching the interactions between and among birds. Many found that, if they sat quietly and patiently, the curious penguins would approach, and it was often a question just who was watching whom and wondering about their curious behaviors.
