I have not been quite sure how to manage this blog and its contents. My intention is to comment on my current and planned activities in the Southern Oceans photographing penguins and their environment. However, this activity exists within a much greater informational and observational context. My individual trek and travails may be of some interest to a few readers, but I think the environmental context may actually be much more important to many more people. Not being a scientist, but an artist, creates a deep crevasse in my technical background. Nonetheless one cannot avoid the on-going scientific adventure to develop an accurate understanding of the forces shaping the landscape and world of the penguin and the whole world for that matter. For this reason I include several “REFERENCED SITES” that on first impression might lead most people to avoid reading what these sites report. I hope you will read these narrative articles in order to gain a further understanding of conditions that are developing in the environment. If an artist can read them without a scientific background so can you.
One of the very good sites that summarize individual studies that are on-going is www.sciencepoles.org/index.php?articles and is continually updated with relevant information. There are three recent articles that I believe are particularly important to me and I hope you will find them similarly so: Southern Ocean Ecosystem: key for global climate, by professor Christiane Lancelot, dated 16 February 2007; ANDRILL—Geologic Drilling in Antarctica, an interview with Ross Powell, co-chief of the ANDRILL’s McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, dated 26 March 2007; and the announcement of the start of International Polar Year March Kickoff.
After the Snow Hill Island trip the next destination was the Falkland Islands (Malvinas, the name Argentina uses) off the east coast of Argentina to photograph Rockhopper and Magenallic Penguin colonies. The Falklands are pretty isolated, one flight a week from Chile and three from the United Kingdom (mostly to serve the English military still present after the war with Argentina).
The Falkland Islands are sparsely populated with exceedingly kind and helpful residents. I had met Allan White on a previous trip to Antarctica. Allen is a resident of the Falkland Islands and operates an Inn on Pebble Island with Jacqui Jennings. He assisted me with linking up with Sally Ellis at International Tours & Travel Ltd, who arranged my local contacts and intra-island transportation. Through Allan’s friendship I met a number of other residents who seemed to have the right solution for whatever issue came up.
Upon arriving I boarded an 8 place passenger plane, the local taxi, that took me from Mt. Pleasant Airport on the East Falkland Island to Saunders Island on the northwest side of West Falkland Island. Saunders Island was settled in 1775 and was the first English settlement in the Falklands. It is named after an English admiral of that time who had completed an around the world voyage in 1770. Like much of the land in the Falklands the island was leased to farmers and shepherds in the late 1800. The residents today have lived most of their lives on the island.
On the plane was another woman guest arriving from Lugano, Switzerland. We were greeted at the airstrip and driven for about an hour across the island to a hut set up for visitors. The hut is in a wonderful location relative to the penguin colonies of Gentoo, King, Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, I wanted to visit. There are many other birds like Albatross and CaraCara that make this island their home. After being shown the details of operating the hut and its minimal amenities, my newly made friend and I took our cameras and began hiking around. It was so beautiful and isolated that we ended up staying out until dark that came about 10:30 p.m..
The Falklands are often very cold and windy with the cold increasing noticeably after sunset. We boiled some water for hot soup, tea and a little chocolate, but that was about all we could do before each of us decided to retire to our beds. I had been dressed in the same clothing I take to Antarctica and after getting into bed and still being cold, I piled these heavy duty items on top of my blankets.
In our mutual enthusiasm we agreed to setting the alarm for 4:30 am, sunrise. Ha! After the journey from Punte Arenas, Chile, the late night hot tea and the bone chilling cold, the warm nests of our respective beds kept us under wraps for a few more hours. Hot tea and oatmeal were welcome in the morning and then it was time to assemble the camera gear for the day.
Except for the ride to the hut all other travel was by foot. I was on a Rockhopper quest and passed through the Gentoo and King colonies. The trip to the beach and then along the rocky coast to the Rockhopper nesting site was not only marvelously beautiful but also warming. The Rockhopper site starts along the rocky coast and extends up the side of the hill. At the top of the hill there is a group of nesting Black-browed Albatross.
Rockhoppers were flying out of the sea and landing like tumblers, and regardless of the appearance of the roughness of a landing always coming to their feet to hop off to their nests. What can be said about a little being that makes its name hopping up rock faces often leaping their own height or scrambling up a trail that would give second though to most human hikers. Sitting at various points I watched and photographed the unbelievable action. If it were not for the comings and goings I think the wind, the wet and the isolation might have made the time more difficult, but even sitting here now and describing the time I will go back at any opportunity. Eventually my fellow guest and I met up at the hut, made a light supper and went to sleep under our mutual mounds of blankets and clothing.
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