This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Antarctica
First Year Ice in the Weddel Sea
Something that surprised me about my recent visit to the Antarctic Peninsula was that the ice was equally as impressive as the Killer Whales, Leopard Seals and the Humpbacks.
Incredible Ice StatuesSunset
Nothing can prepare you for the different shades of blue captured within these floating structures and the size of the slabs is simply staggering!
50 Shades of blueDrifting IcebergIcy reflectionsSpectacular GlacierStill seas approaching the Antarctic CircleInspecting the sea iceKelp Gulls at sunsetRecently rolled iceberg
Fortunately conditions allowed us to make it south past the Antarctic circle!
Sea ice thickening
And if the Ice isn’t enough the landscape and mountains ain’t half bad either!
Gentoos awaiting the incoming stormNeko HarbourIts not just blue you seeAntarctic Landscapes
Its been a while since I posted pictures of my penguin friends so here are a few of my favourites from the Peninsula where I was finally able to see the Holy Grail of Penguin species; The Emperor Penguin. As well as all three species of brush tail, magellanic and rockhopper.
Adelie Penguin taking in the viewsGentoo bracing against the storm with the National Geographic Explorer in the backgroundChinstrap standing tallLonely Emperor Penguin
For more images check out my two Antarctic Galleries….
This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Antarctica
Type B killer whales, Antarctica
Next to tick off the bucket list, the world’s top ocean predator – the killer whales. Having never seen these before, I travelled to Antarctica with very high expectations, knowing estimates of these animals in Antarctic waters to be somewhere in the region of 70-80,000.
Killer whales ahead
On just our second day in Antarctic waters, we kept the schedule free and were instructed to get outside and look for big black and white animals. Within a few hours in the Weddell Sea, we were surrounded by several groups of Type B killer whales.
Type B killer whale alongside vesselIn the iceYoung killer whale diving
We were lucky to have killer whale scientists on board the ship and within a few minutes of the sighting, they were launching the Zodiac in order to get closer to these animals and collect their data.
Killer whales were intrigued by the research ZodiacLaunching the drone
The scientists, from the NOAA, were using drones to fly above the animals and take pictures, which give them accurate information about the size and health of the whales. This new technique of observation also allows them to see what the whales are getting up to beneath the water, observe new behaviours and also make more accurate counts of pods.
Pod size can reach 80-100
As you can see, the killer whales in the pictures have very brown colouring where stereotypical killer whales would be white. This is a result of the cold water temperature – the brown is actually diatoms (a type of single cell algae) living on the surface of the whales. Normally, killer whales would have a good blood flow to the skin, which would prevent this diatomaceous growth. However in cold waters, this would involve the loss of too much energy.
Scarring is from raking and/or scratching on iceYoungster and adultHeading right for the ship
If you look closely at the images, you can see round circular scarring on the whales, these are from cookie cutter sharks, which are only found in the tropics, a bit bewildering considering these killer whales are seen in Antarctic waters all year round.
Circular scarring on the saddle patch – Type A killer whale
Also, it was strange that the same individuals, photographed on different days, often had high diatom growth followed by clean skin. The NOAA team previously put tags on these whales which showed that they make very rapid journeys to the tropics to get manicures before swimming all the way back south!
Mother and calf
Next up were the Type A killer whales, which are much more like the killer whales seen in the northern hemisphere. These are larger and tend to be more black and white than the Bs and they feed on Minke whales and elephant seals.
Bull breaking the surfaceBull, mother and calf
Using a combination of the saddle patches, markings and fin shape it is possible to identify individuals using photos. We were lucky to see the same group of Type A killer whales near Ciervo Cove on both expeditions, as confirmed by photos.
There are two types of B killer whales. ‘Little’ Bs, which tend to dive deep and feed predominantly on fish, supplemented by the odd penguin! And ‘big’ Bs, which opt for washing seals (especially Weddells) off the ice to feed. Having seen the little Bs several times already, we pushed further into the Weddell sea into the thicker ice and, as we hoped for, we found a group of big Bs, giving us the “full house” for the area we had been.
Big BsWeddell seal sensibly opting to rest on land rather than on the ice
Since conditions were calm, the ever eager scientists launched the Ribs and returned with some alarming images of the whales. The whales were not in particularly good health, with much of the skeletal features of the animals visible in the pictures. Possibly, this was a result of lower prey scarcity, with very few Weddell seals observed on the ice. However, at this stage the scientists could only hypothesise.
We also had a team from CBS on board who did a piece on these encounters, which you can see by following this link below…
Fortunately, the trip did not end on this low since sightings continued wherever we went. My season culminated with one of my favourite nature experiences ever, as a group of 40 little B’s passed straight across the bow of the vessel in the crystal clear Antarctic waters.
Too close to photographJust a few of the pod
Clip showing footage from a couple of the Killer Whale encounters
This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Antarctica
National Geographic Explorer and a leopard seal during a zodiac cruise in Cierva Cove
Just a quck update from my latest travels. I am currently working as a Naturalist for National Geographic Expeditions. It has been my job to guide lucky passengers on board the National Geographic Explorer around the Antarctic wildlife.
One of the spectacular ice structures that scatter the Antarctic Ocean
During the past few weeks, I have been lucky enough to share the very best wildlife watching experiences in the world with these passengers as we navigate from South America, south through the Drake Passage as far as the Antarctic circle.
Sunset on the iceExplorer guests look on across the sea ice
Highlights have been too numerous to list but amongst the latest to be ticked off the bucket list are seeing killer whales and emperor penguins, as well as watching humpback whales bubble feeding. On top of this, there were lots of penguins and stunning scenery – plus ca change!
Majestic looking Adelie penguin
When I return to better internet, I will endeavour to update my blog with more images and stories from these latest travels but for now, here is a selection of images so far!
The moment a leopard seal seizes a gentoo penguin off the coast of brown bluffNot only were there hundreds of killer whales seen, there were the world’s leading scientists working on boardOne of the hundreds of killer whale pictures I have taken during the past 3 weeksKiller whale through the ocean