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| After lunch aboard Shokalskiy, we return to the island where some members of our group go for a guided walk up the slopes of Mont Branca while the rest of us enjoy the fine weather and remain in the vicinity of the king penguin colony. I capture some excellent digital video of the penguins and of an albatross chick being fed by one of its parents. The wind remains fierce but the brilliant sunshine makes it an unforgettable afternoon. |
A brown skua stretches its wings on the concrete wall built by the French to separate the rookery from the road. The skua, with strongly hooked beak and sharply clawed feet, serves the dual role of predator and carrion-eater in the antarctic and subantarctic.
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When we climb the side of the cove to reach the nesting albatross chick, we are rewarded with this view of the cove. One of our naiads is anchored off shore; these outboard-powered, inflatable craft (made popular as "Zodiacs" by Jacques Cousteau) were used to ferry us to and from the ship.
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The colony extends far into the valley formed by the Riviere du Camp (Camp River).
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One of my favorite photographs from the journey: a wandering albatross chick on its nest, with Shokalskiy at anchor far off shore and the mysterious Ile de l'Est (East Island) misted and blue on the horizon.
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Below the side of the cove we have climbed to view the albatross chick, the king penguins gather in what our French guides called their "washing area" to go for a swim.
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Some of the penguins can be seen in the water in this image. A huge bed of kelp lines the shore of the cove.
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Elephant seals (including one particularly large female) and king penguins basking in the warm, late afternoon sunlight.
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This close-up of two king penguins clearly shows the beautiful coloration and differing plumages: the soft chest feathers in contrast to the almost leathery texture of back and flippers.
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On the opposite side of the cove, two gentoo penguins bugling in a mating display.
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