Dec 27, 2009

Killer whales!! There seems to be a single big pod of about 18
individuals that roam the vicinity around Ross Island. We haven’t seen
them for a week or so, but yesterday they were back and putting on a
good show. They were nearly a mile offshore, so binoculars were needed
to see what was going on. The females and calves seemed to be quite
frisky; much splashing and whitewater was seen, and occasionally a
tail would flop through the air. One of them even jumped all the way
out of the water! Others were seen laying on their sides, with big
round side flippers sticking into the air and white undersides
showing. The 2 males in the group were less playful, and seemed to be
just swimming around. It was quite a show, especially seeing the jump
in a setting other then SeaWorld.
What the fauna here lacks in diversity it makes up for in drama. With
no vegetation to hide behind, the daily lives and interactions of the
animals here is out in the open to watch. The relationship between the
Adelies and Skuas is particularly interesting. The Skua chicks have
begun hatching and parents are on constant patrol to find a penguin
egg or chick that isn’t being guarded closely enough. When one is
located, a gruesome spectacle takes place, which I will not detail
here.
It is no safer for the Adelies in the water. The resident Leopard seal
has been making regular appearances along the shore, and many bloodied
but live penguins are seen laying around the colony. The most
interesting thing about Leopard seals is that most of them feed on
krill; relatively few individuals have developed the specialized
behavior of penguin-hunting. It is only at the colony, with its heavy
confused traffic around floating ice blocks and beach, that the seals
are able to catch penguins. In open ocean the birds are far more fast
and agile.
Weddell Seals are seen lounging on the ice as if it is a warm sunny
beach. They specialize in living where the sea ice is thickest, I
suppose in order to rear their pups away from most predators. Their
front teeth project forward for chewing holes in the ice for
breathing.
We have seen one live and one deal crabeater seal on the beach here.
Despite their name, they too feed primarily on krill, and their teeth
are comprised of three squiggly projections which form a strainer when
the jaw is closed. These are the most amazing teeth I have ever seen.
Small groups of Minke Whales are regularly seen foraging along the
edge of the Ross Ice Shelf a little to the east of the colony.
In the non-animal world there is mainly lichen. The most common is an
orange variety which covers the rocky ground where snow drifts then
melts away. There are also patches of green, yellow, green, and black
lichens, and all of these add a special treat to those willing to get
down on hands and knees and have a close look. Like lichens
everywhere, the structure of these is fascinating to look at closely.
If you haven’t done so recently, you should go get personal with some
lichen, as I will never be able to describe its structure well enough
here.
Finally there is a slimy green growth that I believe is moss, which
grows in the smelly melted runoff from the colony.
Thus concludes a tour of the life we see here.
Have a good day.
Scott