66°33′ South

Another day, another penguin colony…at Cuverville Island.

The gentoo penguins are faring better than other species of penguins since they have a flexible diet of krill, crab and fish. They can adapt better as the food chain fluctuates. Niko says there is a third nesting area that has expanded since last season.

Then a post-penguin cruise…

A hike at Danoy Point on Wiencke Island in the afternoon…

Fabrice gave an impromptu anatomy lesson with a freshly dead penguin. He found it up on this rocky hill and stripped it with a pocket knife and his bare hands. The leopard seal had pounded all the flesh out of the carcass and the birds cleaned up the rest – nothing but skin and bones left.

The zodiac cruise around Wiencke Island was whale-filled. Some curious minke whales swam right by the boats.

Port Lockroy post office on Wiencke Island was advertising a job. It was a 5 month contract, includes room, board and warm outer clothes but no running water. Every week you could probably go on a cruise ship to take a shower. Not a whole lot to do in your spare time but you would process about 80,000 pieces of mail. Oh, and it’s a vegetarian base…and you have to be a UK citizen.