We were the last group off to visit the Gentoo Colony at Danco Island. Early in the day we saw the Expedition Crew prepare the site. They brought over equipment and prepared the landing area and path, as we needed to stay a distance from the penguins.
After breakfast we caught a very interesting lecture on ice. Did you know that fresh water consists of about 5% of water on Earth and two thirds of that is contained in the Antarctic Ice? The lecture also portrayed what Earth would look like if all the ice melted. Goodbye many coastal cities and the entire state of Florida.
We then got dressed for the 32 degree weather and off we went in another Zodiac (there’s at least a dozen of them on the ship). During the short trip in we saw about a dozen Gentoo Penguins swimming as well as “porposing ” in and out of the water in the bay.
One of the main jobs of the Expedition crew is to get us safely on and off the Zodiac and onto the prepared snow path. To accomplish this there’s at least four individuals that you grab onto their arm and they to yours to get you off the boat and up the steps carved into the snowy bank.
The walk today was much shorter and less steep. We passed many penguins in their way up to the rookery, or down to the water to find food. We were soon at the first part of the colony. Hundreds of Gentoos gathered above the Cove, with an astonishingly beautiful background of blue ice floes, icebergs and mountains.
To watch these animals walk like Charlie Chaplain makes for a bit of hilarity. In the big group, we see some in pairs, others in small groups, a few all alone and many taking a rest on their bellies. One male approached a female and suddenly we saw him skittering down the hill on his belly! And then there are those that take a flying poop that turns another penguins belly an not so interesting color.
We have another Zodiac ride at 6:30 tonight.