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Pages and Posts Tagged ‘penguins’


Gentoo Penguins on King George Island

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS-- In anticipation of the next upcoming AMLR field season in January 2010, I put together a slide show of a Gentoo penguin colony. The colony resides at the Copacabana field camp on King George Island... {Read More »}



The Last Task of the Season

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- The Adélie Penguin breeding season in Antarctica is short. By late January it is time for everyone to leave including the penguins. Before our team departs our last task is to band the chicks... {Read More »}



The Molt Is On

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- Penguin chicks are born with a fine cover of small soft feathers. In a few days they will loose those feathers and grow wooly thick gray ones. These feathers will keep them warm for the next few weeks, but are not waterproof... {Read More »}



A Tale of Two Cities

ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- In this land (Antarctica) and an ocean far away (to most of you), but not long ago (in the past weeks or so), a scenario was played out that in days long past may once have happened, in fact, near by to where you are, but involving penguin cousins... {Read More »}



Penguins’ Best Friends Are Minke Whales

CAPE ROYDS, ANTARCTICA-- I’m sure Inuits have a name for it, but otherwise it’s the fizzing sound as great expanses of ice dissolve so rapidly that any air still between its spaces or molecules is released into the atmosphere. We heard that sound... {Read More »}



Going Under the Ice!

SOUTH POLE STATION, ANTARCTICA-- The day I arrived at McMurdo I ran into Ron Hipschman and John Weller. They told me they were going to go to the "Penguin Ranch" the next day, and I got permission to go with them. I was very lucky!... {Read More »}



Royds Tranquility

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- First time this has happened, but I was sitting today for a spell just to watch the penguins here at Cape Royds and the only sound was that of the blood going through my ears... {Read More »}



Observation Tube at the Penguin Ranch

PENGUIN RANCH, MCMURDO SOUND, ANTARCTICA-- (By Ron Hipschman) At the Penguin Ranch, the scientists not only observe the penguins above the ice, but also below the ice. They do this with the "observation tube". Anchored above a hole in the sea ice is a tube... {Read More »}



Beaufort Chaos

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- We’ve made three trips, by helicopter, to Beaufort Island this season. Usually we can’t do this until the end of the season, because the McMurdo helos don’t fly over open water and a ship is not available until the end. It’s a 40 minute helo ride and a 6 hour boat ride. This year, though, fast ice extends out to Beaufort... {Read More »}



Connecting Antarctic Science to Children

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- Most of the time while we are working with penguins in Antarctica, we are in the field at Cape Royds. We live in a tent and sleep on the ground near the breeding colony and it is a magical place for me. As far as we can see in any direction... {Read More »}