04 Dec 2014

Rush Hour on Macquarie

We had an exceptional run south to Macquarie Island and arrived seven hours early.  This allowed us to spend some time at the Australian Base at Buckles Bay before heading down to Sandy Bay for an afternoon landing in beautiful sunlight.  Sandy Bay was particularly active with the first Royal Penguin chicks hatched and many King Penguins moulting on the beach.  The Skuas were as active as ever amongst the first King Penguin eggs, as they worked to feed their rapidly growing chicks of the season.  The resident pod of Orca was spotted on two occasions throughout the day capitalizing on the abundant food supply in the water as the Elephant Seal weaners are just starting to make their way out to the open ocean for the first time.  Overall, Sandy Bay was a hive of activity and we tore ourselves away for an early lunch back aboard the Spirit of Enderby with the promise of a return visit in the afternoon.  This morning we are heading down to Lusitania Bay to see the largest King Penguin colony on the island and conditions look favourable for a Zodiac cruise to better appreciate the sounds, smells and spectacle.