The lone Gentoo

What a day.  We awoke to an overcast day.  In the morning it was Cuverville Island.  A colony of Gentoos make it home.  The  trouble was so early in the season the snow was deep and thick which made walking and in particular, avoiding the penguin highways very difficult.  There were shagging penguins everwhere, skuas and a few eaten eggs.  It was a lovely setting I have to admit with massive mountains surrounding it.

It was back to the boat and a motor along the Lemaire Channel.  What a difference with no blue skies and a still sea that it was the last time I went through it.   Very brooding with the overcast skies.    It nevertheless impressed a number of shipmates.  We motored quietly through it and I noticed quite a lot of sea ice.  It was definitely the beginning of the season.
 
We then moored off Peterman Island.  It had an Argentinian shed on it and lots more of Gentoos and about 5 Adelies.   There were the usual Skuas flying around, some cormorants and also some sheath bills.  There was also a dead penguin carcass.
 
Going to bed it was wonderful to watch the mountains go by.  The next day I heard there was a splendid sunlow at midnight with pink skies.  It was fleeting apparently.

No seals yet seen on this trip.