Exploring Penguin Highways on Cuverville Island, Antarctica

Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica – our first view, from the Zodiac landing site, of part of the impressive Gentoo penguin colonies that Cuverville Island is famed for. We rode in Zodiacs from the Ship to a cobble beach landing site that afforded access to the largest gentoo penguin colony in the Antarctic Peninsula.

We could clearly see the trails (“penguin highways”) they use to make their way to and from the water and other trails leading across the shore and uphill.

The weather started to clear about 3.5 hours after we returned from our landing on the island; this was the first blue sky in a few days, and we were all hoping it would continue.

After our return from the island to the Ship, we had a rare sighting of 10+ Orca whales (“killer whales”) who may have been stalking (and trying to wear out) a humpback whale, hoping for a “kill” and a feast of a dinner.

Photography courtesy of Richard E.