December 25, 2021
On our way to our first land destination, our Zodiac cut through several sections of pack ice populated with Gentoo penguins.
Safety Measures
Every time we make a landing the advance crew hauls in several white containers with red lids. Inside were provisions in the event we get stranded.
Zodiac landings are classified as ‘wet landings’ which means they pull the Zodiacs close to shore, but since there is no dock, you have to step out of Zodiac into a couple feet of salty sea water. Once on land we secured snowshoes onto our waterproof boots. There was so much fresh snow on the ground we would sink up to our knees without the snowshoes. The snowshoes make walking over snow easier and allow us to transverse areas that were otherwise impassable on foot
Our first landing of the trip was on Orne Island, where saw two types penguins: Gentoo and Chinstrap.
Gentoo Penguin
Penguins don’t nest in snow, but rather lay their eggs in nests made of little rocks. That is why you will see all the brown around the rookeries.
We were instructed to social distance from the penguins. In Antarctica, penguins haven't evolved an instinctual fear of humans because they rarely encounter us. Also, adult penguins don't have land predators. All their predators are in the sea (sea lions, whales), so their instincts have evolved around avoiding predators only in the waters. If you sat still and waited patiently, they may come up to you out of curiosity. Of course we sat in the snow and quietly observed. Sure enough, they waddled up to us. FYI, there are no polar bears in Antarctica.
Penguins are ubiquitous on the Antartic Peninsula. I will never think of them without a smile. They are just too adorable!