Trips

Fri., 12/28/12 - Antarctica on the Corinthian II

Pictures marked with an * were taken by members of the Corinthian II Expedition Staff.

Lemaire Channel and Pleneau Island area*
Cruising the Lemaire Channel	Cruising the Lemaire Channel
Cruising the Lemaire Channel - a hanging glacier	Cruising the Lemaire Channel
Cruising the Lemaire Channel	Cruising the Lemaire Channel - the captain was very careful!
Cruising the Lemaire Channel	Cruising the Lemaire Channel
Cruising the Lemaire Channel - penguins on the ice	Cruising the Lemaire Channel
Cruising the Lemaire Channel	Cruising the Lemaire Channel
Cruising the Lemaire Channel - someone's research station	We boarded zodiacs to view the icebergs around Pleneau Island at the southern end of the Lemaire Channel. The ice in the strait is spectacular in shape, size, and color.  It is like a fantasy place.  We saw a few birds including a snow petrel and lots more penguins in the water, on ice, and on bare rocks.  We saw leopard seals (they have a "dog" face), Weddell seals (they have a "cat" face), and crab seals (they have a "TRex snout) but the best was the humpback whale that we got relatively close to in the zodiac before returning to the ship.  We had hot toddies on our return but we missed teatime snacks.
Checking to be sure we aren't out any longer than anyone else	Here we are*
On the zodiac ride among the icebergs around Pleneau Island - the zodiac looks small!	On the zodiac ride among the icebergs around Pleneau Island
On the zodiac ride among the icebergs around Pleneau Island - such beautiful colors	A seal
On the zodiac ride among the icebergs around Pleneau Island	Crab seals
Crab seals*	Leopard seal and bird
On the zodiac ride among the icebergs around Pleneau Island	Weddell seal
Humpback whale	Humpback whale
Today's landing was on Peterman Island. This island has the southernmost gentoo penguin colony and is the furthest south we will go. The island also has colonies of adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags.  The adelie penguins like to move along the ice/snow on their bellies pushing with their feet and flippers.
Peterman Island - bottom left*
Peterman Island - Adelie penguin sliding along the snow	The long red line
Adelie penguins and chicks	Adelie penguins and chicks
Adelie penguins and chicks	The adelies had many chicks on their nests.  The chicks are cute little balls of fluff.  While we were watching, a skua bird came along and snatched a chick from a nest and made dinner out of it.  This was Animal Planet in real life!
Skua with adelie penguins and chicks	Skua attacking - mother trying to defend
Blue-eyed shags and adelie penguins	Blue-eyed shag with chicks*
We walked around on deep snow to view several rookeries and then took a hike over a saddle to see the south end of the island.  It was quiet, full of clean snow (no penguin guano), and had beautiful views of the bays full of icebergs, called an iceberg graveyard.  We were welcomed back on the ship with hot chocolate.         We spent the night idling in Paradise Bay.  We could see another research station on shore.  With 22 hours of sunlight and two hours of twilight – more like broad daylight! - we had good views of all of the glaciers and bergs all night.	Paradise Bay research station
Paradise Bay - another ship	Paradise Bay research station

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