27 Nov 2024

An incredible day at Macquarie Island – Penguins, Elephant Seals, Orcas and more

Today was one of those days we will remember for a long time. Although the seas were rough, some incredible Zodiac skills saw everyone land at Sandy Bay to see the Royal and King Penguins, with Elephant Seals scattered along the beach. We watched in awe as the climactic scene unfolded, as large swells washed big groups of penguins in or swept right through the beach they were standing on. The sounds, the colours and the smells were incredible as the birds approached everyone, completely undisturbed by our presence.

In the afternoon, our Captain sailed Heritage Adventurer near the around 200,000-strong King Penguin colony at Lusitania Bay. The views were incredible as we marvelled at the sheer number of these majestic penguins. We then sailed to Hurd Point, where a pod of nearby Orcas emerged to greet us. After rounding Hurd Point and going up the west coast to Caroline Cove, we were met with dramatic seas and rock stacks with crashing waves, which made for an incredible departure after two days at the wonderful Macquarie Island.

Images © S. Bradley, T. Henderson & O. Thomas, Heritage Expeditions