24 January 2014
Another typical day on Macquarie island overcast and drizzly like 314 days of the year. Chris gave us a tour of the isthmus where the Australian research base was located. We learnt all about the different research programs going on, got up close with elephant seals and gentoo penguins and were even invited in for scones and coffee.
The gentoo penguins were also friendly like the king penguins, they came up to us when sitting and had a good look at us.
After lunch the anchor was pulled up and we set sail for the 4 day trip to Cape adare. I spent most of afternoon on the bridge watching the penguins swim away from the boat and went to a couple of lectures.
Llyods lecture about penguins was interesting hearing about the different penguins and the 1 or 2 eggs they laid and the ability of both eggs surviving depending on the penguins species foraging range. The further the penguins travelled during incubation and when raising young the less chance of the first (smaller) eggs survival. Crested penguins (fiordland, snares, rockhopper, royal, macaroni and erect) have lesser chance of the first eggs survival with a foraging range during incubation of 300-600km where as the yellow eyed penguins with a foraging range during incubation of 20km had much greater success of both eggs fledging. Emperors have the one egg.
We were greeted onshore my hundreds of moulting elephant seals as we walked the tracks of the isthmus.
View from the lookout across the isthmus.
Plant?
A group of Gentoos on the western beach of the isthmus
The chicks can sometimes be mistaken for adults. These chicks want to be fed.
Some more seals lying on the beach
The Gentoo penguins were as freindly as the King Penguins. They came right up and just sat staring.
Gentoo penguin feather left on the beach vegetation
Gate into the main buildings on the island
The Australian flag as its aussie soil, Nz flag as the ship chartered by a kiwi company and we help the aussies out and russian flag for the boat.
This anchor is a memorial of the research supply vessel "Nella Dan" that broke its mooring and beached itself in 1987 and was not savageable.
Twice a day they let of a weather balloon here like they do at 870 other locations throughout the glode to gain a world wide picture of whats happening in the atmosphere. They record wind speed, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity.
This boat/vehicle is used to bring supplies ashore from the supply ships.
This elephant seal took no notice on the new building being constructed
Another group of moulting elephant seals lining the tracks
A historic digestor used to boil penguins to extract their oil.
Head Ranger Chris
A king sneaking up on one of the Australian rangers as we wait to go back to the ship
Macquarie Island is part of Australia and we got this cool stamp in our passport
No comments:
Post a Comment