Antarctica -- October-November 2010

Magdelena Island (Isla Magdelena in Spanish). This is in the Strait of Magellan. This was the view looking roughly northeast along the shore immediately after arrival. All the white spots are penguins (except maybe a few spots are seagulls) -- even the ones up the hill in the distance. It's basically a small mountain of peguins.

We had a lecture before going here, when the lecturer said there were believed to be (if I remember correctly) 60,000 breeding pairs nesting here (there are also some non-breeding single penguins here). Later, in a different lecture a couple days later, the instructor said he had received additional information while in Punta Arenas. They now estimate 100,000 breeding pairs.

(22 Nov 2010)

Magdelena Island

Looking down the beach from near the dock. Never learned what the pipe was for.

I heard at least two estimates for the number of breeding pairs of penguins on this island. I seem to remember the lower number was 60,000 breeding pairs