66°33′ South

Started the day of off with a Movement and Mindfulness class then watched a leopard seal eat a penguin.

It was a calm but overcast cruise to Peterman Island to commune with some Gentoo penguins when disaster struck for one young pengy. A leopard seal had the penguins head trapped in its monstrous jaws and was slapping side to side on the surface of the water in order to de-glove the skin.

Apparently the leopard seals eat about half the penguin population every year – they feed on the young chicks who have yet to develop swimming skills. The seals each eat up to twenty penguins a day. Many of the women in the zodiac were in dismay but I’m more “circle of life” about it all.

When the breakfast cruise ended, penguins and more penguins.

They have no land predators so they have no fear of humans. We have to step lightly and keep a 5 meter distance. This is hard to do since they are so curious!

In the afternoon, it was whale and iceberg watching around Penleau Island.

Late afternoon, the picturesque Lemaire Channel. Eleven kilometres of beauty under pretty dramatic lighting conditions!