Whales and Penguins at Deception

Yesterday was an absolutely magic day at a remote chinstrap penguin
rookery. We were dropped off at the semi-abandoned Argentine base and
walked 4 or 5 kms across the Island to the eastern shore. The walk had
significant spells of plugging through deep, wet (and unseasonable) snow
mixed with easy walking on the volcanic ash and scoria.

Rounding a small spur we were suddenly presented with the vista of a
huge rookery stretching maybe 800m inland, with birds occupying terraces
up to 100m above the sea. There were tens of thousands of birds. After
a constant landscape of only black and white we were surprised to see
areas of green moss or lichen just outside the nesting sites. This was
presumably where the guano was sufficient to work as fertilizer without
being so much as to be so acidic that it was poisonous. Steam was
rising from many patches of ground and there were patches of brown soil.
It was like a different land. Below the rookery the westerly swells
crashed into the rocks sending spray 40 metres into the air.

We made our way carefully across the last snow slope and then descended
a steep scoria ridge to just above the edge of the colony. We had lunch
here and with a little sun the temperature rose briefly to 12 degrees –
positively balmy conditions. A white-morph giant southern petrel soared
past several times, a rare and special sight.

The penguins were in various stages of nesting and we observed
courtship and mating as well as changing of the guard as the females
returned to take over brooding from their mates. The most remarkable
part of their existence was the effort required for the birds to return
to the nests. Schools of penguins would porpoise in on a wave, clearly
going as fast as possible to avoid the leopard seals and other predators
patrolling the coast. The shore was guarded by a reef against which the
rollers smashed with a violence that seemed non survivable, yet the
penguins would appear through the foam, a few at a time, porpoising
furiously until they could reach the boulders near the shore. Once
ashore, the battle continued with a hop across the rocks, then a clamber
up the single, very steep snow ramp that provided access to the rookery.

Skuas patrolled the area and judging by the number of egg shells below
the nest sites, enjoyed reasonable success, but not without risk. We
watched a skua loose a battle with the chinstraps, who broke its wing
and leg, While it was able to retreat 5 metres from the nesting area it
was then set upon by another skua. The video of this is spectacular.
The skuas are remarkably majestic birds despite their vulture status. We
later came upon a nesting pair. The brooder was almost invisible,
nestled down amongst the rocks, while its mate stood guard.

Amongst all this shore based activity we also watched whales breaching
off-shore.

Today we are motoring to Murray Passage on a nearly glassy sea. A good
lookout is required as there is quite a lot of ice around. The lookout
effort was rewarded when we spotted three humpback whales bubble netting
krill. Cameras are working overtime.

Written by Ross