December 3, 2011
We arrived at Macquarie Island about 7am. The sea was calm and the weather was foggy with light mist. We were met by park rangers from the ANARE station for a walk around the Isthmus. The Isthmus was teaming with wildlife including huge male elephant seals, king penguins and rock hoppers. We spent about 2.5 hours on the Isthmus and then took a quick zodiac ride to view Shags before returning to the Ship for a quick lunch. After lunch, we visited Sandy beach, where Royal Penguin colonies sprawled across the landscape. This part of the island is known for the 100,000 pairs of Royal penguins who breed only on Macquarie Island.
December 4, 2011
We arrived at Lusitania Bay at 7am to view the King Penguins colony which was clearly visible from the bow of the ship. We watched the King Penguins and the view of Macquarie Island fade as we headed north toward Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
(This is Laurie's fourth visit to Antarctica. She is blogging her way through this epic month-long Antarctica cruise; the Kapitan Khlebnikov's Ross Sea Centennial Voyage. This is Laurie's final post from the field. Pictures from Laurie's past Antarctica travels are found on her website.)
Laurie Allread Antarctica Travel Blog
- Laurie Allread Antarctica Travel Blog: Anticipation in Christchurch, NZ
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 11: Preventing Pathogens, Welcome Cocktails and Meeting the Captain
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 14: Courtship of Southern Royal Albatrosses on Campbell Island
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 15: Calm seas in the Southern Ocean
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 16th: Iceberg Challenge!
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 17: Crossing the Antarctic Circle and Readying the Helicopters
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 18: Alone in the Ross Sea
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 19: 115 Miles from the Antarctic Peninsula
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov. 20: The best way through ice is around ice . . .
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov. 21: Shackelton Hut from Nimrod Expedition 1907-1909
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 22: Penguins and Preparing for McMurdo Dry Valleys
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 23: Visiting the Hut of the Doomed 1912 Expedition of Robert Falcon Scott
- Happy Thanksgiving from Antarctica!
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov. 25: Whiteouts and the Solar Eclipse
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 26: At Last, Cape Evans and the Stunning Mount Erebus
- Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 27 thru Nov 30: Ross Ice Shelf and Kapitan Klebnikov Final Days in the Ross Sea
- Antarctica Travel Blog Dec 1 and Dec 2: Cruising North to Macquarie Island
- Antarctica Travel Blog Dec 3 and Dec 4: Wildlife of Macquarie Island
Want to Go?
region
