Lemaire Channel

It has been yet another unbelievable day in the Antarctic Peninsula. Weather continues to be incredibly warm (around 32 degrees Fahrenheit). The sun is strong, and everyone has sunburned faces. We started our day by hiking on Pleneau Island, and were once again entertained with Gentoo Penguins and unbelievable views of the channel, mountains, and glaciers. That was followed by a cruise down the Lemaire Channel, which is hard to describe in words. Perhaps a picture will help…



This afternoon we hiked on Torgersen Island. Just a few weeks ago it was crowded with thousands of Adelie penguins. Now, most of them have headed for the sea in preparation for the winter. However, there were still approximately one hundred colorful characters left behind, mostly chicks and active adolescents. It was interesting to actually see grass, Antarctic tufted grass. Here is a photo of an Adelie Penguin near a rock formation on Torgersen Island. Also included is a photo of three fluffy Adelie chicks.





Your tax dollars at work: we visited the U.S. research station at Palmer Island. The station is manned year-round, where marine, terrestrial, and atmospheric research is conducted. The National Science Foundation funds many of the projects. We met some of the scientists and learned about specific studies. The canary in the coalmine here is phytoplankton, which feeds the krill, which feeds the rest of the critters, and so on. Our world is warming quickly, and its velocity is fastest here in Antarctica… that is affecting the phytoplankton.

Here’s one last photo. It’s of some of my shipmates enjoying the wildlife and view from their Zodiac in Crystal Bay. Our expedition leader, Tim Soper, is manning the wheel. The blue background is an iceberg. Yes, they look silly, but they are also having a ball. Oh, and by the way, I looked just as silly as I took the photo from a separate Zodiac.