Penguins | Ice Stories: Dispatches From Polar Scientists

Where Have All the Whales Gone?

By Jean Pennycook · January 5, 2010 ·

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– Since the early 20th century when exploration of the Ross Sea became common, killer whales have been sighted regularly and described as the most abundant whale in the area. Recently, the killer whales... {Read More »}

Penguins 1 – Skuas 0

By Jean Pennycook · December 23, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– When Adélie Penguins adapted to live in the harsh environment of Antarctic they pretty much got this place to themselves. Nesting on the ground in other parts of the world is very risky for birds... {Read More »}

Snow Storms Are Hard on Adélie Penguins

By Jean Pennycook · December 16, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– This year the breeding colony at Cape Royds has experienced several large snow storms. A little snow is okay, but this year the amount is more than usual... {Read More »}

What a Difference a Year Makes

By Jean Pennycook · December 15, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- Last year and this year the first penguins were seen the last week of October, so not much changed there, but there were fewer birds and nests being built during the first weeks this season. When we started looking for eggs the picture became even more surprising... {Read More »}

Gentoo Penguins on King George Island

By Cassandra Brooks · September 1, 2009 ·

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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

By Jean Pennycook · February 18, 2009 ·

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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

By Jean Pennycook · February 17, 2009 ·

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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

By David Ainley · February 10, 2009 ·

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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

By David Ainley · January 14, 2009 ·

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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!

By Mark Krasberg · December 30, 2008 ·

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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 »}

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