07 Feb 2025

A magnificent day on Macquarie Island

We knew we’d arrived at a very special place as soon as Heritage Adventurer anchored off Macquarie Island, as we continued our In the Wake of Scott and Shackleton expedition. Groups of King Penguins swam out to investigate Heritage Adventurer and even accompanied our Zodiacs as we landed at Sandy Bay. This was an island absolutely teeming with penguin life.

It was just a short stroll along the shore to a large colony of colourful King Penguins, where many adults were protecting or feeding their fluffy brown chicks. Others were still incubating eggs, which they carried on their feet and covered with an extendable brood pouch. We saw even more were moulting their feathers. Pairs of Brown Skuas lurked menacingly around the colony, looking for any unguarded egg or chick that could make an instant snack. It was hard to know where to look because everywhere, fascinating behaviour was unfolding.

The King Penguins, with their smart black and orange livery, appeared quite formal and elegant. The Royal Penguins, on the other hand, with their spikey yellow crests, looked more roguish. While some grouped on the beach, the biggest spectacle was a short hike up into the surrounding hills, where over 12,000 breeding pairs of Royal Penguins created a noisy, smelly, squabbling spectacle of life. The scene before us was almost overwhelming and unique to Macquarie Island because this is the only place on Earth where Royal Penguins breed.

As we walked back to our landing site, Sandy Bay had even more to offer – large Skua and Giant Petrel chicks flexing their wings in the tussock grass, a handful of resting Gentoo Penguins, and huge Elephant Seals lying on the beach. Our first day at Macquarie Island had been a fabulous experience, with animal activity as fascinating as any wildlife film – yet all of this had been right there in front of us, for real!