Petermann Island was our southernmost point (65°10′S 64°10′W), and the end of the road. When we landed, we were given the option of going to one side of the island to see “Iceberg Alley” — tempting — or to see baby Adélie Penguins. Not much of a decision after all:
Squabbling:
and courting:
can look very similar among Adélies.
They can do impressive things with their necks:
On some parts of the island, Adélies, Gentoos and Blue-eyed Shags all nest together:
Big stretch:
This shag has something to be proud of (in fact, several of them):
The gentoos had their own little dramas. Courting:
Brooding:
Stealing. Here the penguin on the left steals a pebble from the bird in the middle, while she’s defending the other side:
Next minute, the penguin on the right has done the same while she was distracted to the left. This process can go on for several minutes at a time, after which she can start stealing them back.
Thefts can also come from other species:
The island has an extensive network of human and penguin pathways:
But traffic jams still occur:
With so much going on, Petermann was also a fine place to put aside the camera and have a last few moments of taking in the scene. Then, all too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Antarctica, for now….
Aw, baby penguins!