At Sea
Rolling northward on a gentle swell, the Antarctic Peninsula in our wake, we now have a chance to slow our pace and reflect on the past week’s adventures and discoveries. The White Continent has been very kind to us over the past seven days, showing us sunshine, light winds and just enough of her harsher moods to give us some good stories to tell. I think it is very safe to say that all of our expectations have been met and surpassed. We have cruised iceberg sculpture gardens, scented the unique bouquet of penguin colonies, watched whales feeding alongside their young and met scientists working to learn more about this remarkable place. We also counted 94 Emperor Penguins one morning, doubling, in 15 minutes, the number our expedition leader has seen in 18 years! And, looking into the sea, we obtained rare footage of Adelie Penguins underwater.
From the vantage point of the decks of the Endeavour, the seas of the Antarctic appear forbidding. What could possibly live in such dark icy waters? But take a look below (being sure to don your dry suit and wait a few minutes for the ice-cream headache to pass) and an amazing, unexpected world is revealed. These waters are absolutely packed with life; in fact, all of the wildlife we enjoy on the shores of the continent, seals, penguins and other seabirds, ultimately depend on the sea for their livelihood. This is also realm of brilliant color. In sharp contrast to the stark, almost monochrome tones of the Antarctic above the sea, the marine life here presents a living rainbow, bright pink sea stars, golden sponges and orange anemones.
Most transformed of all are the penguins. Visiting their breeding colonies we often can’t help but laugh at their antics. They seem so serious as they waddle by, often tripping and tumbling over the rocks. But in the water we see them at home and in their element. Chubby waddlers suddenly become waterborne rockets, effortlessly zooming by, snapping instantaneous turns, shooting to the surface and back down with only flicks of their wings. Only here, below the surface, can we see their true nature: the perfect seabird.
This sight is a rare privilege. Penguins of all species are shy in the water, careful to avoid anything resembling a predatory leopard seal. And of the species found around the Antarctic Peninsula the Adelie is the shiest of all. Over the course of 127 dives logged in Antarctic waters I had never had the opportunity to film Adelies until one morning this week, off Paulet Island in the Weddel Sea, when they chose to come to me. Perhaps they were wondering what this strange, bubble-blowing creature was doing in the water off their island.
Rolling northward on a gentle swell, the Antarctic Peninsula in our wake, we now have a chance to slow our pace and reflect on the past week’s adventures and discoveries. The White Continent has been very kind to us over the past seven days, showing us sunshine, light winds and just enough of her harsher moods to give us some good stories to tell. I think it is very safe to say that all of our expectations have been met and surpassed. We have cruised iceberg sculpture gardens, scented the unique bouquet of penguin colonies, watched whales feeding alongside their young and met scientists working to learn more about this remarkable place. We also counted 94 Emperor Penguins one morning, doubling, in 15 minutes, the number our expedition leader has seen in 18 years! And, looking into the sea, we obtained rare footage of Adelie Penguins underwater.
From the vantage point of the decks of the Endeavour, the seas of the Antarctic appear forbidding. What could possibly live in such dark icy waters? But take a look below (being sure to don your dry suit and wait a few minutes for the ice-cream headache to pass) and an amazing, unexpected world is revealed. These waters are absolutely packed with life; in fact, all of the wildlife we enjoy on the shores of the continent, seals, penguins and other seabirds, ultimately depend on the sea for their livelihood. This is also realm of brilliant color. In sharp contrast to the stark, almost monochrome tones of the Antarctic above the sea, the marine life here presents a living rainbow, bright pink sea stars, golden sponges and orange anemones.
Most transformed of all are the penguins. Visiting their breeding colonies we often can’t help but laugh at their antics. They seem so serious as they waddle by, often tripping and tumbling over the rocks. But in the water we see them at home and in their element. Chubby waddlers suddenly become waterborne rockets, effortlessly zooming by, snapping instantaneous turns, shooting to the surface and back down with only flicks of their wings. Only here, below the surface, can we see their true nature: the perfect seabird.
This sight is a rare privilege. Penguins of all species are shy in the water, careful to avoid anything resembling a predatory leopard seal. And of the species found around the Antarctic Peninsula the Adelie is the shiest of all. Over the course of 127 dives logged in Antarctic waters I had never had the opportunity to film Adelies until one morning this week, off Paulet Island in the Weddel Sea, when they chose to come to me. Perhaps they were wondering what this strange, bubble-blowing creature was doing in the water off their island.
