Catt-Trax 2 - Antarctica

Antarctica - Arctic Tern vs. Wandering Albatross - Which is the Winner?

Danny Catt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:41:45 -0700

Arctic Tern - Long Distance Migrant

Birds are incredible creatures and on my final days in Antarctica and on the journey back across the Drake Passage to Argentina I was able to observe and photograph two of the most amazing long distance fliers in the world, the Wandering Albatross and the Arctic Tern.

The Wandering Albatross has a number of claims to fame. It has the smallest clutch size of any bird in the world (one egg every two years); they take the longest time to reach breeding maturity (6 to 10 years), and … they have amazing wings! With a total wingspan of 3.45 metres (over 11 feet) the Wandering Albatross has the widest wingspan of any bird in the world. The widest wings ever recorded were from a bird captured in the Tasman Sea near New Zealand measuring 3.63 metres (11 feet 11 inches). This is huge when you consider that the wingspan of a Bald Eagle is about 2.0 metres (6.7 feet).

Wandering Albatross. Widest wingspan of any living bird!

The Wandering Albatross though is not only incredible because of its wingspan but I would say more so because of what it can do with those wings…. fly! Wandering albatross are noted for their long distance flights – in fact they are considered by some to be one of the world champions of long distance flying.

Wandering albatross nest on islands. Both sexes incubate the single egg and once hatched the parents take turns heading off on foraging flights to find food to feed their ever hungry chick. Using satellite telemetry scientists have learned that some parent birds fly as much as 1000 kilometres (600 miles) per day (yes, per day!), covering anywhere from 2900 kilometres (1800 miles) to an astonishing 15,000 kilometres (9,300 miles) in a single foraging flight! That is almost comparable to flying from Vancouver to New York City and back, TWICE… just for a feast of seafood. Once food has been found they return to the nest and the chick is fed by regurgitation (just as in penguins).

Another contender for the title of champion long distance flyer is the Artic Tern. On our last day in Antarctica I was able to observe and photograph one individual which was a real treat. We also saw lots of Antarctic Terns during our visit to the Antarctica Peninsula (which is a very similar looking bird) but it is quite easy to distinguish between the two species during the southern hemisphere summer because Antarctic Terns are in their summer breeding plumage (feathers) while the Arctic Terns are in their non-breeding (less bright or striking) plumage.

Arctic Tern in Summer Breeding Plumage (Photo from Spitsbergen, Norway)

The Arctic Tern is a classic example of a Global Connection species. They breed in the Arctic of Canada, Alaska, Europe and Asia (and occasionally in northern British Columbia) during the northern hemisphere summer and then once fall arrives they start migrating south all the way to Antarctica. The Arctic Tern has the longest annual migration of any bird in the world, flying on average 35,000 kilometres (22,000 miles) round trip each year.

Because they fly from summer to summer year after year Arctic Terns likely experience more daylight hours than any other living thing on the planet. And to top it off, since Arctic Terns can survive into their 20s (and sometimes longer) some individuals will travel over 700,000 kilometres in their lifetimes! Pretty amazing!

So, in your opinion, between the Arctic Tern and the Wandering Albatross, which is the long distance flight champion?

Antarctica - Whales Whales Whales

Danny Catt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:32:08 -0700

Humpback Whales, Gerlache Strait, Antarctica

On our last day in Antarctica we were treated to an amazing opportunity to view and see some of the Humpback Whales that migrate to Antarctic waters to feast on the abundant krill. There are a variety of whales that make their way down to the far southern waters along the edge of the Antarctic ice including Minke, Sei, Fin and even the mighty Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have lived on the planet. All of these species are what are called baleen whales. This means that rather than having teeth, they have baleen plates (made of the same material as your finger nails, keratin) that they use to sieve out the krill that forms a huge part (almost exclusive for some species) of their diet.

Humpback Whale Tail (also known as a Fluke)

It is said that a Blue Whale can consume up to 4,500 kilograms of krill in one day! And someone (I don't know who) has suggested that the baleen whales consume about 27 billion kilograms of krill each year! Wow!

Humpback Whale, Gerlache Strait

The other group of whales are the toothed whales. Examples of these include the sperm whale (the largest of the toothed whales) as well as the Orca or Killer Whale. It should be noted though that Orcas are in fact the largest member of the dolphin family although we don't call them dolphins.We saw Orcas twice during our trip but on both occassions we saw them briefly and then they were gone.

Orca, Antarctica

Antarctica – Antarctic Circle & Climate Change

Danny Catt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:10:00 -0700

A Massive Antarctic Iceberg

Today we crossed the Antarctic Circle, located at approximately 66 degrees, 33 minutes South Latitude. This is the latitude where the sun does not set (you would have 24 hours of daylight) on the longest day of the year (summer solstice) in the southern hemisphere. Summer solstice in the southern hemisphere is around Dec 21. This is the shortest day of the year (winter solstice) in the northern hemisphere.

We had the chance to visit Detaille Island, located at 66 degrees, 52 minutes South Latitude. We were able to get this far south because the typical ice conditions in Antarctica are changing. It is not usual that expedition ships can travel this far south even in summer. The climate is changing and the ice is melting.

Antarctic Iceberg

As most of us are aware of these days, greenhouses gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) have been increasing in our atmosphere for the past 200 years, since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Carbon dioxide has increased more than 25% in that period. It is true that there have been warming periods and cooling periods throughout the Earth’s history, but it is the view of many scientists (most?) that human activities have contributed significantly to the warming of the planet. If that is the case we should do whatever we can to slow down or reduce the trend.

One of the greatest concerns related to climate change is the melting of the ice in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. If the ice on Antarctica were to disappear, two things would happen. Antarctica remember is a continent (rock) and due to the immense weight of the ice on top of it, the bedrock has been depressed by several hundred metres. If the ice were to be removed completely (by melting for example) it is estimated that Antarctica would rise by between 500 and 1000 metres. Don’t worry though, the North American continent has been doing just that for the past many thousands of years following the last ice age! The process takes a long time. But, at the same time, the water produced by the melting of ice could raise the Earth’s oceans by up to 60 metres (200 feet) flooding huge areas of the planet. This flooding would happen quickly and that is one of the main concerns related to climate change.

Antarctic Landscape

If you haven’t already, rent and watch “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore. Discuss it with your family and friends and talk about things that you can do to encourage or create a carbon neutral lifestyle. Think about how our actions in North America, and in other parts of the world, may influence or impact Antarctica and other parts of the planet.

Antarctica - Leopards & Crabeaters

Danny Catt — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:56:18 -0700

Morning Light Along the Lemaire Channel, Antarctica

It is such a delight to wake up to calm seas and amazing light on the peaks that surround you. In the morning we slid our way along the smooth waters of the Lemaire Channel. The landscape and wildlife were spectacular. Gentoo Penguins in the hundreds porpoised their way beside the ship and both Humpback and Minke Whales were sighted surfacing nearby where they were slowly feasting on the abundant food available.

Gentoo Penguins on the Move

One of the highlights of the morning for me was the opportunity to get off the ship to observe, interact with and learn about the various Antarctic seals, and in particular the Leopard Seals and the Crabeater Seals. Crabeaters are the most abundant seal species in Antarctica, and although their name might suggest they are “eaters of crabs”… they in fact don’t eat crabs at all. Their main diet, is the same as so many other wildlife species in the region, krill!As mentioned in previous posts, krill is on the menu for dozens of Antarctic birds, seals and whales. Krill are small crustaceans (there are about 17 species in Antarctica but the largest is about 2 inches long) that are part of the plankton. Plankton refers to all of the plants and animals that move along at the whim of the ocean currents. Plant plankton is called phytoplankton while animal plankton is called zooplankton (plankton is plural, plankter is singular).

Crabeater Seal with Krill Smeared on its Stomach

There are a lot of Crabeater Seals in Antarctica. In fact, according to the sources I was able to fin, the Crabeater is the most abundant seal in the world with a population estimated between 30 and 70 million. This huge population of seals eat a lot of krill. It is estimated that the population of Crabeater Seals in Antarctica consume an astounding 90 billion kilograms of krill annually! That is a lot of crustacean!

Leopard Seal Chasing a Gentoo Penguin

Leopard Seals on the other hands are the meat eaters of the Antarctic seals. One of their primary food sources are penguins!

Curious Crabeater Seal

Both Crabeaters and Leopard Seals can be curious and both species allowed us to approach quite closely and in fact both species (at different times) swam alongside (and behind) the zodiac to get a closer look at us.An experience I will not soon forget!

Antarctica - Continent of Extremes

Danny Catt — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:51:25 -0700

Antarctic Iceberg

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent on the planet with an area of about 14 million square kilometres. How does that compare to Canada and my home province of British Columbia? Canada is approximately 10 million square kilometres and the province of BC is about 1 million square kilometres. So… Antarctica is approximately 14 times larger than BC and 40% larger than Canada. It is BIG!

What is astonishing to me is that Antarctica is a continent of extremes. It is a land mass covered with a huge quantity of ice (as we all know). In fact over 98 % of its 14 million square km is covered by a permanent ice sheet averaging 2450 metres thick (about 8000 feet). For those of you who know Vancouver, that thickness of ice is about twice the distance from the ocean to the top of Grouse Mountain (1231 metres or 4039 feet). Taking that one step further, approximately 90% of the all the ice on Earth is located in Antarctica. There is so much ice in Antarctica that you could carve up blocks of ice each the size of the Giza pyramid in Egypt for every person on the planet!

Antarctic Ice

One guidebook I read states that Antarctica is cold, windy and dry. What an understatement! Antarctica is in fact the coldest, the highest, the driest and the windiest continent!

Coldest Continent

Temperatures around the continent vary but during the coldest month (August) the temperatures in the interior of the continent range from -40 to -70 C (-40 to -90 F). In the warmest month (February) temperatures range from -15 to -45 C (5 to -49 F). The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was also on Antarctica: -89C or -129 F!

View from atop a small Antarctic Peak

Highest Continent

Taking the thick layer of ice that covers the continent into account, Antarctica is, on average the highest continent on Earth. The highest point is the peak of Vinson Massif (4,892m or 16,050 feet). There are though many huge peaks (over 3000m or 9000 feet) that you cannot even see because they are completely smothered in ice!

Antarctic Ice

The South Pole itself is 2,835 m above sea level (9240 feet) on top of a layer of ice of about that thickness. How does that compare to the North Pole? Well… the North Pole is at an elevation of about 1 metre… because the Arctic is simply frozen ocean.

Driest Continent

With an average precipitation of less than 2 inches (5 cm) per year, Antarctica is the driest continent in the world. In fact Antarctica gets not much more precipitation than the Sahara Desert in Africa. Antarctica gets so little rainfall that it can be considered the largest desert on Earth.

Windiest Continent

Antarctica is also the windiest continent. In addition to global wind currents, due to its range in elevations and very cold temperatures, Antarctica actually creates its own wind systems. Cold dense air basically slides down from the high elevation ice fields toward the coastal lowlands, often at very high speeds.

Antarctica is truly a continent of extremes!!

Antarctica - Danco Island and Gentoo Penguins

Danny Catt — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:13:03 -0700

On Danco Island, Antarctica

We awoke to calm seas in the protected waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. The expedition ornithologist had presented a lecture on board (during our crossing of the Drake Passage) so we had an idea of what species of birds to expect. In fact the expedition staff present a range of lectures on natural history (from marine mammal biology, to ornithology, to geology and glaciology) when time permits. Today was to be my first opportunity to visit a penguin colony in Antarctica and I was excited about the opportunity!

Zodiac Landing on Danco Island, Antarctica

It felt great to finally put my feet on solid land again and what a place to do it – Danco Island! It was cold (just below freezing) but refreshing. To get us to shore the zodiac drivers maneuvered their way from the ship to shore around chunks of sea ice and small icebergs. Once on shore we made our way across the ice and snow making sure we didn’t disturb the hundreds of Gentoo Penguins going about their business on the island.

Adult Gentoo Penguin Heading to Shore to Feed the Chicks

The penguins making their way from the ocean and onto shore were adults returning from food gathering (foraging) and were on their way back to the colony to feed their chicks. The chicks though were not waiting right along the shore but instead were at the nest site located fairly high up on a nearby hill, a few hundred metres or so away from the shore. We watched the adults waddle their way up the hill to find their chick. Once found the chicks would peck at their throats and beaks and encouraging the parent to regurgitate the food directly into the penguin chick’s mouth. Yumm!

Adult Gentoo Penguins, Danco Island, Antarctica

What are the penguins eating (and feeding their young)? The vast majority of what they eat is krill. Krill is like a small shrimp and is a critical part of the food chain in polar waters (both in the Arctic and in Antarctica). There are many different species of krill but the long and short of it is that it is the major food item for a high percentage of Arctic and Antarctic wildlife species. In Antarctica, penguins, seals, whales and many birds have krill as the major food item in their diet.

It was certainly obvious that these Gentoo Penguins were feasting on krill as their pink coloured droppings (krill is pink in colour) were everywhere (including my boots and my jacket)!

Juvenile Gentoo Penguin (Waiting to be Fed)

It was simply amazing to walk alongside the penguins on their march to and from the sea to the nest. You are not permitted to get too close to the penguins (you have to give them the right of way), but if they decide they want to get closer to you that is their decision. And that certainly happened.

Adult Gentoo Penguin Feeding Chick (A Large Chick)

After feeding their chicks the adults simply head back down the hill (or hop), jump back in the sea and head off in search of more food. Although krill can be found in Antarctic waters in massive quantities (they say that the total weight of krill in the world’s oceans weighs more than the whole human population on Earth) but its distribution is patchy and the penguins (and other animals that feast on it) may have to travel great distances to find the food patch.

Antarctica – Land Ahoy! The South Shetland Islands

Danny Catt — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:12:21 -0700

Rough Seas in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

It is about 20 to 9 in the evening and the sun has just set. It was an eventful day. We arrived in the South Shetlands early this morning, after two rough days at sea crossing the Drake Passage. I enjoyed the trip across the Drake but it was wonderful to see land again.

Near Deception Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica

We had great intentions of getting off the ship and going for a hike on Half Moon Island this morning but alas the winds that greeted us were about 50 knots and so no zodiacs would be taking us to shore today (the ship has a number of rubber zodiacs on board to transfer passengers to shore for expedition stops). Plan B was to move over to another location, Deception Island, about a two hour journey away… but alas that did not work either. We reached the island no problem but the winds continued to howl forcing us to stay on board. Deception Island is the largest of three recently active volcanic centres in the South Shetlands. At Whaler’s Bay there are the remains of a whaling station which operated from 1910 to 1931 and was then abandoned. Happily today there is no whaling in Antarctic waters.

Chinstrap Penguins. Who Says Penguins Can't Fly?

From the ship we could see penguins, some porpoising like dolphins out of the water, as well as Humpback Whales, Antarctic Fur Seals and a range of seabirds including Great Petrels, Cape Petrels and Wilson’s Storm-petrels. March is the end of summer in the southern hemisphere and although the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping, it is one of the best times to see marine mammals, including whales.

Antarctic Ice

By late afternoon the seas had calmed a bit and we had great views of the Antarctic landscape and icebergs of all shapes and sizes. Icebergs are large chunks of frozen fresh water that have broken off glaciers and ice shelves where they meet the sea. The bluer the ice, the denser the ice (and the less air space within it). We had some fabulous shapes and colours of bergs pass by.

An Antarctic Sunset

And what better way to end our first full day in Antarctica than with an amazing sunset!