Cuverville Island & Port Lockroy
Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red
Cryin’s not for me
‘cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin’
- Burt Bacharach
The saying in Antarctica is that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear! Today all of us on board the National Geographic Explorer had ample opportunities to test out the waterproof capabilities of our rain gear. Not only during the morning, but throughout the afternoon as well! Luckily our Lindblad parkas kept us not only warm and toasty, but dry to boot!
Most of us were awakened early this morning to the call of killer whales being sighted off the bow. A small group of Type “B” killer whales were slowly cruising along the front of a glacier and slowed long enough for us to get a close look at their unusual coloration and pattern (quite different than the Type “A” killer whales that most of us know from other parts of the world). This ecotype of killer whale is a lighter gray in coloration, and has a relatively huge eye patch of white, when compared to the more “normal” Type “A” killer whales.
After breakfast high katabatic wind conditions in Orne Harbour changed our original plan and put us into expedition mode. Wind and sea conditions were considerably improved in the wind shadow of Cuverville Island, home to a large colony of gentoo penguins as well as a breeding and nesting site for south polar skuas. While the wind had significantly abated here in the lee of the island, that light drizzle came down ever so softly, but continuously. The diehard photographers amongst us took full advantage of the conditions to photograph penguin chicks doing their best to ignore the rain and to get on with the business of becoming adults.
Our afternoon was spent visiting Bransfield House at Port Lockroy as well as a gentoo and blue-eyed shag colony at Jougla Point. Katabatic winds continued to be the feature of the day, and the driving force of the wind brought the rain and sleet to us in sideways slanted sheets. The penguins hunkered down, the blue-eyed shags flapped hard to make headway against the wind, and the wind shrieked in our balaclavas and hoods. Weather to truly make you feel alive! And of course I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin’!
