V9 Antarctic Peninsula_Voyage_Log

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Penguins! Fun Facts for the Antarctic Adventurer Gaby Pilson, Hiking Master & Expedition Guide For many of us, the chance to see penguins waddling around in the snowy vastness of Antarctica is the reason that we came to the White Continent. These charismatic sea birds are a fan-favourite for visitors to Antarctica, but even cuddly-looking penguins are incredibly well adapted to one of the harshest environments on Earth. 1 2 Depending on what book you read, there are 19 species of penguins. If you count all of the subspecies, there are 25 total varieties of penguins in the world, however, there are only four truly Antarctic species of penguins: the Adélie, Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Emperor. All of the other penguins in the world live south of the equator yet north of Antarctica, with the exception of one species in the Galapagos whose range barely crosses into the northern hemisphere. The largest penguin to have ever lived was the now-extinct mega penguin, which weighed some 115 kg. These days, the largest penguin is the Emperor Penguin, which tips the scales at 23 kg. Alternatively, the smaller gentoo penguin weighs just 15 kg. 9 3 4 5 Although they nest, breed, and socialize on land, penguins rely on the sea for survival. As swimming and diving birds, penguins are adept at fishing and must head to the ocean for their sustenance. Indeed, the deepest diving bird in the world is the Emperor Penguin, with a record-breaking dive of 535 meters! Penguins are amazing swimmers. They spend much of their day searching for food in the ocean, particularly for their favourite meal of krill, squid, and small fish. The fastest swimming penguin is the Gentoo, which is known to reach speeds of upwards of 50 kilometres an hour while zooming through the water. Penguins are highly social birds, choosing to nest in large colonies, where they will also raise their young. Many penguin chicks, after hatching stay with their parents for a few weeks to a few months before forming large “crechés,” many hundreds of individual teenage penguins in size. 5 JAN 2020 – 14 JAN 2020 Volume 2, Issue 9
Approaching the ice 7 January 2020 – Drake Passage & S. Shetland Islands Written by Thomas Bauer 10 Our smooth crossing continued and in the morning in cloudy and foggy conditions we discovered that during the night we had crossed 60 degrees South and that we were now officially in Antarctica. The fog further indicated that we had reached the Antarctic Convergence, the biological boundary of Antarctica, where the cold waters from the south subside under the warmer waters from the north. During the morning Gui gave us a very comprehensive presentation on the different Antarctic penguins we hope to encounter during our voyage. His lecture was followed by a mandatory briefing on how to get in and out of the inflatable Zodiac boats. Without these very sturdy boats our landings in Antarctica would not be possible. After lunch, our Kayak guides Slava and Toto conducted a briefing on our kayak operations and a significant number of guests expressed an interest to experience Antarctica from a kayak. As we approached the South Shetland Islands in still fairly foggy conditions the bridge reported that the first iceberg had been spotted on the radar. No visual sighting had been possible so far. In the afternoon our geologist Sara gave us a very informative lecture on the geology of Antarctica and this was later followed by a presentation by guest presenter Dr. Bo Eberling on the very current topic of climate change and greenhouse gases. After the briefing we all headed to the mudroom to be issued with a pair of rubber boots. These will keep our feet nice and dry during the wet landings we will experience during our excursions. During the evening briefing our expedition leader announced that tomorrow we may be in a position to set eyes on an iceberg knows as A 68. At 5,800 square kilometres A 68 is one of the largest icebergs ever recorded. After dinner we had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Dr. Elise Biersma on the topic of polar ecology and adaptations to extreme Antarctic climate. © Renato Granieri 5 JAN 2020 – 14 JAN 2020 Volume 2, Issue 9
Page 1 and 2: 5 JAN 2020 - 14 JAN 2020 Albatros M
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS The Voyage Meet t
Page 5 and 6: Meet the Team 4 Phil Hunter Assista
Page 7 and 8: The Seven Sisters of Szczecin David
Page 9: Rolling Our Way South 6 January 202
Page 13 and 14: Drake Passage 5 JAN 2020 - 14 JAN 2
Page 15 and 16: Chasing Icebergs, Finding Penguins
Page 17 and 18: The White Continent 9 January 2020
Page 19 and 20: © Renato Granieri 5 JAN 2020 - 14
Page 21 and 22: Deception Island 11 January 2020- B
Page 23 and 24: A Brief History of the Zodiac Steve
Page 25 and 26: Northward Bound 12 January 2020- Dr
Page 27 and 28: Towards the Horn 13 January 2020- D
Page 29 and 30: King of the Southern Winds Sandra O
Page 31 and 32: By the Numbers… 30 Voyage Statist

V9 Antarctic Peninsula_Voyage_Log

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