Journal

Science Update

The science team is working on our Day 3 Incubation sampling and collecting more water samples at a station in the Drake PassageStrait, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans between Tierra del Fuego and the South Shetland Islands. Located about 100 mi (160 km) north of the Antarctic Peninsula, it is 600 mi (1,000 km) wide.. There is weather on the way, so we will be leaving this area soon to head towards land. We hope to start sampling in stations closer to the Western Antarctic Peninsula in the next day or two. You can see our location by clicking on the map link at the top of the journal.

TGIWF - Thank Goodness It's Wildlife Friday!

When we are not sampling seawater, running nutrients tests or filtering water (among other things) there is time to watch for wildlife and experience the beauty of this area. The descriptions and images below are based on some of the better photographs thus far in the trip. There are a number of other animals that make the sightings list, but may or may not have photo documentation (yet). They include:

  • Sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus)
  • Antarctic shag (Phalacroccorax bransfieldensis)
  • Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans)
  • Cape petrel (Daption capense)
  • Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)
  • Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)

As we continue to move closer to the Western Antarctic Peninsula, I expect the wildlife sightings to increase. I'll be sure to update the list and post another journal when I have more pictures. For now...enjoy!

Adelie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)

I was on the bridge (approximately 54 feet off the water) when I heard the captain mention something about penguins. I looked ahead and saw a few little black dots atop a piece of sea ice. They were still far away from the ship, but we were making our way closer to the little penguins. I was able to head out on the walkway that circles the bridge in order to snap a few pictures of these Adelie penguins before all of them retreated to the water. We passed two other small groups that morning.

Adelie penguin retreat
Four Adelie penguins sit atop first-year ice in the Southern Ocean. Two of the penguins start to retreat as the RVIB Palmer passes by.

Adelie penguins are considered a medium-sized penguin, reaching lengths of about 70cm/28inches. These penguins have a short breeding cycle and time their breeding with the warming on the seasons and the availability of food. The coloration pattern is similar to the chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus), but Adelie's do not have the black line (or chinstrap) on their chin.

Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica)

These birds are often confused with the Cape petrel (Daption capense) introduced in another journal. The Antarctic petrel is usually seen in association with icebergs and pack ice. These birds nest in cliffs to stay well protected from predatory birds like skuas and gulls. These birds can reach lengths of 40-46cm/16-18inches with a windspan of 100-110cm/39-43inches.

Antarctic petrel
This Antarctic petrel glides through the air above the sea ice.

Snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea)

Snow petrels are a slightly smaller in size than the Antarctic petrel with a length of 35-40cm/14-16inches and a wingspan of 75-95cm/30-37inches. These birds are often referred to as the "Angel of Antarctica" because of their beautiful while coloration. These birds frequent the ice-pack areas and are usually seen around icebergs and glaciers. The snow petrel has the most southerly breeding distribution of any bird, with sightings as far south as the South Pole.

Snow petrel in flight
Snow petrels have an all-white plumage. Snow petrels have a southern range that includes the South Pole.

Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella)

Besides the many seabirds that pass by the ship throughout the day, the most common sighting on the floating ice is the Antarctic fur seal. It is easy to identify these seals from a distance because as soon as they sit up, you can see the distinct long flippers and the hind flippers that tuck under the body. The fur seals often vocalize (or bark) at each other, or even at the RVIB Palmer as it moves by. These fur seals have a insulating blubber layer and two layers of hair (soft hair and guard hair that protects their skin from the cold water) to keep them warm in these icy waters.

Antarctic fur seal resting group
This group of three Antarctic fur seals rests atop first-year ice sheets in the Southern Ocean. Many of the fur seals vocalize (or bark) as the ship moves by.

Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes weddellii)

These seals will make you smile with their round bodies and awkward gait. The Weddell seals may have many different markings with colorations from light to dark. The Weddell seal generally reaches 2.5-3.5m/7-8feet in length and can weigh a few hundred pounds (as is evident in the photos). Weddell seals are deep divers with maximum depths recorded at 750m.

Weddell seal resting
Seals commonly rest with their heads and hind flippers off the ice. This is referred to as a banana pose.

Pair of Weddell seals
You can see the variations in fur patterns on these two Weddell seals. You can also see the round bodies that give these seals a sausage-like appearance.

Details
Author
Cara Pekarcik
Date
Expedition
Southern Ocean Diatoms
Weather Summary
Sunny and windy with some swells in the area.
Temperature
0.2C/33F
Wind Speed
25-30 knots
Wind Chill
-17C/1.4F

View Comments

Comments

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 10:21

Cara Pekarcik

Visitors to this area, unless they have a special permit for penguin research, should not approach the penguins. It is for the safety of the
human, but also for the safety of the penguin. This is the same with any
type of wild animal regardless of location. There are occasions,
however, where penguins actually approach humans. There have been a
number of stories told over meals of emperor penguins approaching and
then standing next to scientists as they drill ice cores.

On 2016-09-26 06:52, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 10:21

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Mia - it is certainly possible, but I don't have this answer. A large change in climate over a period of time could affect the penguins
in a number of different ways. Their food sources could move to
different locations or different depths making them harder to find. The
ice floes that they rely on may be smaller in number or size and not as
useful. I am sure their are scientists working to find out as much as
they can about penguin anatomy, physiology, behavior, etc. to be able to
predict the outcomes of climate change for this population.

On 2016-09-26 06:51, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 10:21

Cara Pekarcik

If you are referring to the italicized words after the seal name, that is the scientific name of the organism. All organisms have a genus and
species name that represents their scientific name. The names are
generally based on Latin or Greek languages.

On 2016-09-26 06:46, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 11:21

Cara Pekarcik

Not that I am aware of - the wildlife that we are seeing is common for this area.

On 2016-09-26 06:43, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 11:21

Cara Pekarcik

Every species of penguin (or any animal or plant) has specific features that may just be found on that species. Chinstrap penguins have that
dark strap, gentoo penguins have a white blaze above their eyes and
Adelie penguins have a white ring around their eyes.

On 2016-09-26 06:40, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 12:21

Cara Pekarcik

Weddell seals average 500-600 lbs, but can weigh more
On 2016-09-25 18:33, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 12:21

Cara Pekarcik

I am not sure if you are talking about regular ice melt or if you are referring to long-term ice melt due to climate change. Can you clarify?

On 2016-09-26 06:42, PolarTREC wrote:

Fri, 09/16/2016 - 14:22

Vivian Tran

Hello Mrs. Pekarcik. It's glad to hear that you finally have a change to really enjoy the wildlife of Antarctica. The Weddell seals make me giggle a lot! It's funny how they have such interesting names shown in the parenthesis. Are those names in another language?

Fri, 09/16/2016 - 15:00

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Vivian - this is a great question! The names in parentheses are the scientific names for each species. Each species receives a scientific
name based on its taxonomy (category). If you remember, all organisms
can be divided up into groups started with a domain and continuing as
follows: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. The
names in parentheses represent the genus and species of the animal.
Most scientific names are derived from Greek or Latin languages.

BTW - I will try to get a video of the Weddell seals moving on the ice.
It is so comical!!!

On 2016-09-16 13:22, PolarTREC wrote:

Fri, 09/16/2016 - 17:45

Sean S, Block F

What is the average size of a leopard seal?

Sat, 09/17/2016 - 07:24

Reina C, Block B

Hope you're enjoying Antartica! You mentioned Sooty Shearwater, Antartica Shag, and Wandering Albatross... But I have no idea what those are... What kinds of animals have those names?

Sat, 09/17/2016 - 07:24

Reina C, Block B

Hope you're enjoying Antartica! You mentioned Sooty Shearwater, Antartica Shag, and Wandering Albatross... But I have no idea what those are... What kinds of animals have those names?

Sat, 09/17/2016 - 08:02

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Sean - leopard seals can reach 6-7 feet in length
On 2016-09-16 16:45, PolarTREC wrote:

Sat, 09/17/2016 - 08:02

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Reina - you are absolutely correct - I forgot to mention that these are all birds :)

On 2016-09-17 06:24, PolarTREC wrote:

Sat, 09/17/2016 - 16:42

Jessica Brecht

Hi Cara! I've been thinking about you! These updates are great, and the bird + seal + penguin pics are amazing! Did you take all of the photos yourself, or are they from different team members too? What kind of camera are you using? I'm curious about the albatross - was it huge??? Unbelievable. Still can't believe you're at the bottom of the world! - Jess : )

Sun, 09/18/2016 - 03:03

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Jess - so nice to hear from you! Thank you for the compliments! I am using a Nikon D40 with a 55 to 200 lens. I also have a small Olympus
Stylus TG-860 with me that takes excellent pictures. The photos from
all of the journal pages are mine, unless noted in the captions. The
team members and I will eventually share photos, but we have been busy
and haven't gotten around to it yet. In general, I take lots of shots
of the same thing and hope that at least one of them turns out ok. So
far, this strategy has worked.

The albatross was big - and fast! No wonder I couldn't get a photo. I
hope to pay more attention to the seabirds as we cross the Drake Passage
on the way back. My guidebook shows me so many different types of
albatross - it would be interesting to see more species.

Hope you school year is going well! Please tell the girls I said hello
from Antarctica!

On 2016-09-17 15:42, PolarTREC wrote:

Sat, 09/24/2016 - 07:59

Jessica A, Block F

How long is the breeding cycle for the Adelie Penguins?

Sun, 09/25/2016 - 12:20

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Jessica - In my research, I found that the Adelie penguins generally build nests in November and incubate the egg for the next few months.
The young are ready to leave the nest and head to the ice in March.

On 2016-09-24 06:59, PolarTREC wrote:

Sun, 09/25/2016 - 13:57

Jason W, B Block

What does the Antarctic petrel eat, and where is it on the food chain?

Sun, 09/25/2016 - 16:10

Nha H, Block A

I searched up images of skuas, and they do look fearsome, but petrels are preyed on by gulls as well?

Sun, 09/25/2016 - 17:20

Cara Pekarcik

Petrels, in general, are known to eat plankton. This can include different types of phyto (plant) and zoo (animal) plankton. This would
make them a primary consumer, or a secondary consumer depending on which
type of plankton they eat.

On 2016-09-25 12:57, PolarTREC wrote:

Sun, 09/25/2016 - 17:20

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Nha - I believe the skuas and gulls are preying on the eggs of the petrels. I haven't found any literature on the adult petrels being
eaten by either.

On 2016-09-25 15:10, PolarTREC wrote:

Sun, 09/25/2016 - 19:33

Loretta C. Block F

What's the average weight of a Weddell Seal?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:36

Victoria H, Block G

What do the Antarctic fur seal eat?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:40

Julia Brady, Block G

Why dont Adelie's have the black line (or chinstrap) on their chin?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:42

Guest

when the ice melts where do the penguins go

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:43

Morgan Murphy

Have you discovered anything strange or abnormal about any of the wildlife along the way?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:46

Shawn K,Block G

Are the seals names a different language?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:51

Mia S Block G

Would an increase in the climate affect the penguins population?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:52

emily butruccio

are the penguins safe to go near

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:55

shannon doyle

have you ever walked on a sheet of ice

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 09:21

Cara Pekarcik

Just ice rinks and sidewalks covered with ice in the winter. I have not walked on any ice here in Antarctica.

On 2016-09-26 06:55, PolarTREC wrote: