08 Feb 2016

2 Feb Voyage: Shokalskiy at Macquarie

We anchored off the Australian base at Buckles Bay and after dinner Expedition Leader Rodney Russ gave an introduction to Macquarie Island as four rangers boarded for the short voyage down the coast to Sandy Bay. Sandy Bay is a cacophony of sound, sight and smells as King and Royal Penguins and Elephant Seals go about their business oblivious to the colourful creatures that walk on two legs and smell very unusual. In fact if you sit very still they will come remarkably close to check you out. The Kings on the beach are in various stages of moulting and the Royal colony at the top of the specially constructed boardwalk is a seething mass of activity as chicks are raised under the ever present threat of attack by the Skuas. We returned to the ship for lunch and sailed back to Buckles Bay to visit the Australian Antarctic base.

Once everyone was ashore we split into four groups, making off for a tour in different directions. Gentoo Penguins lined the shoreline walkway towards the base, ironically nesting near the abandoned vats which in a bygone era extracted penguin and seal fat. Snoozing Elephant Seals lay all over the place, taking shelter in the tussock and next to the buildings. Some opened a lazy eye as we passed, but we did not hold their interest for long. We were shown the water tanks that have been converted into sleeping and cooking quarters for staff that need to monitor wildlife elsewhere on the island and the dining room which proved very popular due to the huge scones with jam and cream on offer. Twenty five people live and work on the island during the summer months, with around 13 staying for the winter. The wind had picked up during our visit, so getting from the Zodiacs back aboard the ship proved challenging, but by 1930 everyone was safely back on board and we waved farewell to our hosts. Antarctica here we come!