Speed 0 knots (kts)
As of right now, it looks like we're still stuck in Punta Arenas for a couple more days. There have been a number of delays and that probably means the cruise will be extended and we'll be arriving back later than we expected in April.
Seno Otway
In order to keep us occupied, the senior scientists sent us off to see the Magellan penguin colonies at Seno Otway. This is the first penguin sighting of the trip and everyone was happy to be off the ship and experiencing something new. Magellan penguins are pretty special creatures. They dive at a speed of about 6 feet per second and have been known to dive over 230 feet below the surface. While at Seno Otway, they usually hunt fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans during the morning hours and return to land in the evening.
Pointing at Magellan penguins in the wild (photo courtesy of Katie Haman)
Magellan penguins spend about six months of their lives on land and about six months of their lives at sea. They arrive in Chile during September (which is Spring down here). For a couple weeks, the penguin couples court, mate and prepare their nests. Soon the females lay eggs and the penguin parents take turns sitting on the eggs. In early December, the egg hatches and the parents take turns raising the baby penguin. Eventually the baby penguin learns how to swim and by March the whole family beings swimming north towards warmer waters.
Magellan penguins at Sono Otway
Before they swim off to Brazil, the young penguins go through a process of changing their feathers, which is also called molting. The picture below shows some young penguin chicks in the process of losing their feathers. They look really fluffy during this process.
Baby Magellan penguins in the process of molting
Do you have any questions about penguins? Any questions about our trip so far? If so, click on the Ask the Team tab above to post a question and I'll respond soon!