Jim Schroder's Travel

Home
Trips

Select Page

Antarctic

Research building.

That father really went to town with rocks for his family. Wow... never seen so many.

Third deck upper above the bridge to the left was the cabin that I had with 3 windows. It was super. You always knew which direction you were going.

The night before leaving Buenos Aires I was given a bottle of fine Argentine wine to celebrate in Antarctica by good friends Maxi and Patricia Gomez. I opened it this evening and shared with several friends. It was an awesome red wine.

Fur Seals playing on the beach as we come ashore this morning.

It is cold and desolate here.

We are anchored today at the northern foothills of La Morenita Hill, at Menguante Cove in Half Moon Island off the east coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

Today we encountered a large colony of Chinstrap Penguins.

The chinstrap is recognized by the narrow band of black feathers which extends from ear to ear, just below the chin and the cheeks, hence the name.

They have a similar diet to the Gentoo consisting of krill, small fish and other roaming crustaceans. They are considered near shore feeders foraging among the pack ice. .

Dives typically last less than a minute and are seldom more than 200 feet deep. Using their flippers to fly at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

On land they often toboggan on their stomachs propelling themselves by their feet and flippers.

They climb out of the water and up steep slopes using all four limbs and they are able to jump large distances to reach footholds.

They do leave their colonies and move north of the pack ice in March for the winter.

The principal predator of adult chinstraps is the leopard seal, while the main predators of eggs and chicks are sheatbill and brown skua birds.

Who said there is a shortage of penguins?

3 Fur seals playing king of the rock.

[Show slideshow]

◄ 1 ... 14 15 16 ... 18 ►

© 2025 Jim Schroder