Antarctica: Home To Odd Animals

Article Written By: Bill Edwards

Crossing the Drake Passage is one of the toughest voyages on the planet. It stretches from the tip of South America to Antarctica. In this 400 mile stretch of ocean, the weather is difficult, many currents collide and there is no land to temper the water. Other than penguins and icebergs, I had no idea what I would find. I had no idea what to expect.

I did not know the political alliances, the lay of the land, nor did I have any concept of the wild, unrestrained power there. We didn't see the infamous and deadly side of Drake's Passage on our way to the continent. However, the return trip provided more than enough thrills for even the most avid thrill seeker. Our first morning in Antarctica, we were greeted by a calm gray sea.

Our vie was hazy, and most of what we saw were brown, snow covered mountains - but soon enough, we beheld ice. Chunks of ice bobbed up and down like little marshmallows in a cup of hot cocoa. I grabbed my parka, zipped into my parka - expedition red, and standard issue to all newcomers - and rushed into the freezing Antarctic day.

We had spent the day rushing outside whenever anyone spotted a whale, dolphin, or penguin. We'd also listened to lectures the ship's naturalist provided. We were so excited to set off the cruise vessel in a little inflatable raft. It was thrilling to be so close to those giant ice floes. We could finally see the rocky, icy coast. The edge was rimmed by penguins thinking about getting in the sea.

The penguins filled the landscape and stood admirably as we took it all in. Bedraggled, little gentoo penguins occupied this outcropping of land in Paradise Harbor with a team of researchers. They waddle around in a giant hurry; they look as though they have too many things to get done and not enough time to do it in. Some penguins took a stance on the rocks and watched the strange beings in red as they grinned and gestured toward them. Because of their age, the majority of penguin chicks were now on their own.

Some of the penguin chicks were not accepting this situation readily. The chicks like to eat krill. They have had a steady delivery of regurgitated krill from their parents until just recently.

Some of them were also at various stages int he process of losing their feathers - also known as molting. Most of them had developed the smooth, patterned feathers of their parents, some of them still had fluffy gray down that made them look a bit like they were victims of a particularly sadistic barber, or wearing funny looking earmuffs.

As we made our way back to the ship, we navigated through some of the ice floating through the bay. We even passed right by a jagged icy mountain on which a loan seal was stretching itself. He yawned at us, showing us all his teeth, and perhaps telling us we didn't matter to him.

Penguins are always so very charming. I think that their gawkiness is what makes them so appealing. The formal look of their feathers combined with the orange webbed feet The island had lots more rock than actual dirt, so the penguins were more tidy.

There was even a thin little black line under their chinny chin chins that gave them a jaunty little dash of style which made their cheeks look chubby and cute.

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