As we made our way into the Weddell Sea on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula, we awoke to glaciers, snowcapped hills, and tabular icebergs. Our first stop was Tay Head, a tombolo connecting two areas of Joinville Island. Tay Head is a resting spot for a large group of Antarctic fur seals, as well as a colony site for Adelie penguins. The mature penguins have a beautiful white ring around their eye, but it’s the chicks that win people over. The chicks are in an adorable, awkward “tween” stage as they are in their final stage of fledgling. Some sport a mullet-like feather-do, while others appear to sport a down jacket of young feathers. Tay Head was full of laughs and smiles as we watched the fur seals “run” on the beach and the Adelie chicks pester their parents.
In the afternoon, we ventured to Paulet Island, home to a colony of over 100,000 Adelie penguin nests. We hopped into Zodiacs to cruise along the shoreline. We watched penguins march across the beach as we learned about the early explorers who visited the area. It was a great second day on the peninsula!
