What a day! For years I have been waiting for this day. My friend Jean Pennycook, who works with the Adelie Penguin project (you met her in an earlier journal when I got to sort through penguin poop!) took me to the Cape Royds Adelie penguin colony. What a site! Those little creatures were busy! Building nests (which they make out of pebbles; pebbles that are often stolen from their neighbors nest!), flapping their wings to mark their territory, mating, sitting on eggs, and yacking up a storm! I could have just sat and watched for days - it was fascinating! What little characters they are! Check out the video below!
Before we went to the colony, we took a quick tour of the historic Cape Royds Hut. This is where Earnest Shackleton departed from in order to explore the inner reaches of Antarctica and to be the first to climb Mt. Erebus. It was moving to see all their belongings still there. I was touched by the dog kennels.
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The hut at Cape Royds with Mt. Erebus in the background.
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The door to enter the hut. I paused for a moment to consider that Earnest Shackelton has had his hands in the same spot!
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It was moving to stand next to the same stove I have seen in so many historic photographs with the early explorers all huddled around the stove.
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The dog kennels.
But, the main purpose of our trip to Royds was to see the penguins!!!!
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Just part of the colony! Notice all the black dots on the distant hills - more penguins!
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TAT is amused by all the penguin antics!
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This little penguin wanted to send out a special "Hello" to Lindsey at the SCC in New Hampshire! So Hello Lindsey!
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"Pssst: say hello to Lindsey... pass it on!"
Dr. David Ainley, who is the PI (principle investigator), and Jean needed to do some work in the colony. Jean needed to change batteries in cameras that she has set up that are monitoring the colony, and Dr. Ainley was doing some record keeping. It was gracious of them to allow me to tag along!
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Dr. David Ainley makes some careful notes about his precious colony!
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As if the day couldn't get any better.... on the way back to McMurdo, we stopped and went into an ice cave! It was beautiful!
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The entrance to the cave! We had to slide down a "slide" to enter the cave - it was a bit un-nerving to slide into the unknown!
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Looking up from inside the cave!
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An ice column inside the cave!
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Me inside the ice cave!
THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL DAY JEAN!
Tomorrow: diving at Turtle Rock; hopefully with some Weddell Seals!
You can also check out my journals and pictures from previous seasons at: http://www.ryejrhigh.org/ellwood