PENGUINS!

Despite this being my fourth trip to Antarctica, I had yet to see a penguin. Lots of signs of them whilst at Palmer and mummified ones (+ footprints!) in the Dry Valleys last year, but not a single one in the flesh. So when rumors started circulating that some penguins had been seen out at Hut Point, my friend Amy and I went on Penguin Patrol.

The first time was a false alarm.

The second time at almost midnight, we headed out again and got to see a dozen or so Adelie penguins hanging out on the ice right next to the peninsula.

Adelies on the sea ice next to Hut Point

The one standing appeared to be on "watch" while the others were generally lazy. I think it was their bedtime. The little guy on watch was pacing back and forth, keeping an eye on the open water close by-- where a seal was swimming.

Adelies sleeping and standing guard

While they weren't particularly active, it was nice to see.

The next day, a group of us went out to see the Emperor penguins that were huddled on the road out to the Pegasus runway (where the fixed wing and continental flights go in and out). There were only four of them, but these penguins are the BIG guys so far as penguins go.

Emperors out on the permanent snow road to Pegasus

The one on the left in the photo above must have been cold to tuck his head away so well. It was slightly disconcerting to first see it like that. We almost thought that they were staged, stuffed penguins because they weren't moving and the one didn't have a head. But after a while, they started to move around a little bit. And the head reappeared.

LTER girls (Kelly, Amy, and Alyssa) with the penguins

"Beakers" having fun! (Our hands are supposed to be beakers)