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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Antarctica - Hannah Point, No More Amazing Place in the World!

Can you tell Hannah Point was my absolute favorite? Hanna Point was our last stop - our 11th adventure and where we found most of our favorite animals, all together in one spot.  Add to that another perfect weather day and my personal introduction to my new best buddy, Stinky.
Gloria and her new best friend, Stinky.
I was so lucky! As you probably know, the best photographs are taken at eye level and the baby Penguins are pretty low to the ground!  I knelt down to get a shot of the cutest little guy. He saw me and thought I was pretty interesting, so he came on over and pecked on my jacket, my pants, boots, gloves - you name it and then he tried to sit under me, like his was his Mama! May I bring him home, please!

The view of what the Penguins see!

So far I haven't mentioned Penguin guano, aka Penguin poo. The smell is permeating and in fact, we hung our jackets outside our cabin door because exposure to our outdoor clothing permeated everything.  But Penguins are awesome, that's all I can say.  Despite the aroma, I loved every moment with these sweet and darling creatures and swooned whenever they approached me.

I love this shot...leaning on Mom.

Hanna Point is the home to thousands of pairs of Penguins.

Note the fluff of this baby is giving way to a feathered coat. The feathers are water-proof and provide protection for this baby. With only a fluffy coat, they are vulnerable to rain and cold weather. When they are first born, they are protected by hiding under their mother or father, but as they grow larger, they become vulnerable to the weather.
Seals share the islands with the Penguins.
 
Parents feed the babies by regurgitating the krill, squid and fish they eat themselves. The adult Penguin swallows the food and saves it for later, changing into a form the chicks can eat.

 

 The Skua is a seabird who scavenges the carcasses at the Penguin colonies and at times taking live chicks. As noted earlier, the presence of humans has a positive affect on Penguin rookeries, as the Skua's are frightened of humans and are less willing to steal Penguin chicks from their nests.
 Two Macaroni Penguins are living among this group of Chinstraps.


 

 

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