Cuverville Island

February 13 (am)

Word for the day: gentoo

For the next few days, the M.S. ENDEAVOUR  explored in and around the very scenic Gerlache Strait on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The entire length of the Gerlache Strait measures nearly 200 miles and is surrounded by tall, rugged mountains, numerous islands, passes and bays, and countless glaciers and tongues of the great peninsular ice cap. The vicinity about Gerlache Strait is a favorite feeding ground for humpback whales, and we saw a couple. It was quite windy but very sunny today.

This morning, we made our first landing at Cuverville Island. Kayaking was offered and then cancelled as the wind was too strong to make it enjoyable. This is a very interesting rocky island in the middle of beautiful Errera Channel between Ronge Island and the Arctowski Peninsula on the mainland. Cuverville is an important breeding site for about 5,000 pairs of gentoo penguins, as well as giant petrels, pintado petrels, snow petrels, Wilson's storm-petrels, blue eyed shags, sheathbills, skuas, gulls, and terns.  This island is rich in vegetation, including extensive moss beds, lichens, and clumps of hair grass, but it was covered with snow so we didn't see this. We climbed high up to a ledge through steep snow and were rewarded with stunning views of the Errera Channel, surrounding mountains, etc. We also got to slide down the snow, which made the trip down much faster then the trip up. The wellington boots we wore kept us warm and dry, but weren't the best hiking footwear.

Also on Cuverville Island we saw our first and one of our only chinstrap penguins, and a very young gentoo chick - very late for this little guy and he won't survive, but it was a good view of chick feeding and so very exciting to us. Gentoos are smaller penguins in the brushtail (Pygoscelis) family. They are smaller the further south you go, feed krill in shallow water and fish in deeper water (100m). They return to their colonial breeding grounds, nest in and on piles of rocks or grass if available. They have a strong pair bond, and have two eggs in a normal clutch.

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