Cuverville Island - gentoos and snowslides

First full day in Antarctica. But, I have a sense that I will have lots of photos and lots to tell, so I am only writing about this morning. We were traveling through the Gerlache Strait to Cuverville Island. The island is home to the largest gentoo penguin colony in the region (4800 breeding pairs). We bundled up for our landing, but turns out it was only really the zodiac ride that was cold. 

Brent, Cat, Michelle and Kyle

Clare, Susanne, Ben and me

As soon as we landed, there were penguins all over the place! And a fair amount of ice. I quite enjoyed watching the penguins pop out of the water and waddle up the stone beach. 

We played on the ice for a bit too, which may not have been the best idea while wearing rubber boots, but you know, sometimes when you are in crazy places, you don't make the best decisions (as I think back to my rhino moment at Hluhluwe). 

The penguins just ignored us and went about their business. About when this next photo was taken, there was a bit of a commotion over where the zodiacs were landing. There was a leopard seal following Alex's zodiac. I didn't get any photos, but it was pretty exciting. I was just hoping the penguins would get out of the water. 

Like I said in a previous post, I really like the porpoising penguins. They make me laugh.

Brent was making friends, in an awkward wall-flower kinda way. 

It was an amazing thing to just sit down and have the penguins just wander by. They really don't care about humans and just go about their business. 

Lise enjoying the penguin parade

 It was a pretty amazing view from the top of the little hike. And we could look back to the MS Expedition.

The chicks were very new on Cuverville. In fact, many had clearly just hatched with the egg shells still in the nest. 

And some chicks were still having to share space with an egg. 

Nest building was a constant. The boys making sure they bring the right stones to their ladies. I think the funniest moment was watching one that kept stealing from another nest. Then he got told off by that penguin lady. So he made his way back to his nest and pretended to put a stone down and then stepped back looking for approval from his lady. Total fake. 

To get down from the view point, people were struggling to make their way in the snow. Being a Canadian girl, I know that they best way to go down in these circumstances is to sit down and slide. Well, it kinda started a thing. It was really fun, you just had to check your speed so as not to run into the sleeping penguin near the bottom. 

On the way back to the ship, we had a little iceberg tour, which I quite enjoyed. They are amazing things. 

I will write about this afternoon soon.