antarctic: Emperor Penguins at Snow Hill Island

Penguins pop up everywhere nowadays – from adverts for refrigerators to billboards for the Austrian Tourist board! Next time you see one, bear in mind that they may well a resident of Snow Hill Island - the northern-most Emperor Penguin rookery in Antarctica. The Emperor Penguin Safari, aboard the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov is a photographer’s delight – if you’re looking for that traditional Christmas card penguin shot with which to impress your family and friends, then this is the voyage for you. Over approx. four days at the beginning of the Austral springtime, the icebreaker will be anchored at the edge of the frozen ocean; passengers will then be flown by helicopter to a spot close by to the rookery, and will then walk to where the penguins are nesting (to ensure the birds are not disturbed). The photos shown on this blog are with the kind permission of our friend Chris Dunham, who travelled to Snow Hill last October on the Emperor Penguin Safari- lucky lady!

NEWS JUST IN – A study will take place at Snow Hill Island, led by Graham Robertson of the Australian Antarctic Division. The study will provide important information as to how global warming and the expanding krill fishery adjacent to the rookery will affect the survival of fledgling Emperors on their maiden excursion from the rookery, and how adult Emperor Penguins are affected by today’s changing climate. Incredibly, adult Emperors must double their body weight not once but twice in order to survive. The first time is in order to endure the three-week molt, during which they will grow a full coat of new plumage. Then the adults must again double their body weight (peaking at around 90 lbs) in order to survive the four month winter fast, when the Antarctic continent is locked by darkness and intense cold . Scientists believe that the changes to the Emperor’s environment, caused by global warming and the fishery, will have a detrimental effect on the survival of the rookery at Snow Hill. The study will require financial support – if you'd like to help then please call 001 212 247 8464 for further information. Thank you.