Antarctica through MY lens, part 2

Here are some of my images from the latest voyages. Better ones (taken by other passengers with fancier cameras and kindly shared) can be found in the blog below "Antarctica Nov 2016 - Jan 2017. 

Chinstrap on remote camera, Orne Harbour








Chinstraps on their highway up to the ridge above Orne Harbour. (click on image to enlarge)

The kitchen at Port Lockroy, just as it was in the 1950s when it was a British research station, studying ionospherics. It is now a historic monument, complete with post office, gift shop and Gentoo Penguin colony.

Two Gentoos hurry downhill from their nests to the sea for more krill.

 A Leopard Seal rests on an ice-floe as we start a zodiac cruise. Passengers are lining up ready to go down the gangway into the boats.

Zodiac cruises are just as much about admiring the ice as looking for wildlife. We had many calm, sunny days during November and December 2016.

A fiery sunset adds a splash of gold to the usual Antarctic colour spectrum of white, blue and black (where rock is exposed).

Adelies rest on a sunny floe with a huge ice-cliff behind.

Lonely Adelie!

We ended our last full day with a two spectacular days in West Falklands. Rockhopper Penguins and Black-browed Albatross nest together in tight mixed colonies. There are frequent squabbles between the masters of the air and their distant relatives which can't even fly!

 Our penguin scientists Melissa and Steve: Melissa is showing off her ring, soon after Steve's proposal among the seabird colonies of New Island!

Portrait of a Black-browed Albatross, Westpoint Island.

On January 6, most of the albatross chicks were about a month old. They will make their first flight at the beginning of April.