Polar

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Playful Polar Bears – Wrangel Island 2018

Playful Polar Bears – Wrangel Island 2018

Just south of Wrangel Island, these two Polar Bears entertained us with their playful antics. It seems likely that these young bears had only recently left the protection of their mother and would be soon going their separate ways. The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is...

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Polar Bear on a large ice floe – Wrangel Island 2018

Polar Bear on a large ice floe – Wrangel Island 2018

South of Wrangel Island we found this beautiful Polar Bear on a very large ice floe. The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is the iconic species of the Arctic. They are normally found near the floe edge where they hunt seals most notably Ringed Seals. On this trip we found...

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Walrus in the mist – Wrangel 2018

Walrus in the mist – Wrangel 2018

These animals were very relaxed. The Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is the largest of all the Arctic pinnipeds and the the only larger pinnipeds are the Elephant Seals. Here in the Bering sea, the Pacific subspecies O.r.divergens have longer tusks, up to 100cm (in males),...

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Guadalupe Fur Seals – San Benitos Islands, Mexico 2018

Guadalupe Fur Seals – San Benitos Islands, Mexico 2018

On San Benitos Islands just of the the Baja Californian coast there is a small colony of Guadalupe Fur Seals and we were lucky to see them on our visit there in April 2018. The vast majority of these rare seals are found on Guadalupe Island. These attractive yet...

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Polar bears with cubs – Svalbard 2018

Polar bears with cubs – Svalbard 2018

The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is the iconic species of the Arctic. They are normally found near the floe edge where they hunt seals most notably Ringed Seals. On this trip we found several bears on Walrus kills and saw very few seals. Polar Bears will also take...

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Sperm Whales – Baja, Mexico 2018

Sperm Whales – Baja, Mexico 2018

At the southern tip of the Baja peninsular and just off the Gorda banks we had an amazing encounter with more than ninety Sperm Whales. At first they were quietly logging at the surface but slowly they become more active and started to dive and become more dispersed....

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Humpback Whales – Baja, Mexico 2018

Humpback Whales – Baja, Mexico 2018

On our recent trip to Baja and just off the Gorda Banks at the southern tip of the peninsula we encountered a group of Humpback Whales. A female was quietly swimming along with her primary escort but there were four male pretenders in attendance. As a consequence,...

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Type C Orca checking out the ice edge – Antarctica 2018

Type C Orca checking out the ice edge – Antarctica 2018

A large male Type C Orca checking out the ice edge. We had sailed from the Ross Ice shelf into McMurdo Sound. We visited the historic huts of Scott and Shackleton (outstanding experience!) and then headed to the ice channel created by the icebreaker Polar Star to...

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Ross Ice Shelf – Antarctica, 2018

Ross Ice Shelf – Antarctica, 2018

We arrived in the early morning getting our first glimpse of Ross Island and Mount Terror and soon after the ice shelf could be seen. This was named “The barrier” by the early Antarctic explorers since it represented an impenetrable barrier to their progress. The ice...

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Antarctic Minke Whales – Antarctica 2018

Antarctic Minke Whales – Antarctica 2018

Antarctic Minke Whales. As we sailed along the Ross Ice Shelf we spotted the distant blows of Antarctic Minke Whales feeding just in front of the ice cliff. As we approached we realised there were about 30 of these animals and they were feeding on the upwelling of...

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Off Cape Bird – Ross Island, Antarctica 2018

Off Cape Bird – Ross Island, Antarctica 2018

As we rounded Cape Bird en route to Cape Royd (Shackleton’s hut) and Cape Evans (Scott’s hut) with its large Adelie Penguin colony, we ran into some dense pack ice. The Captain took the Spirit of Enderby gently and skillfully through the ice. We enjoyed the...

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Crabeater Seals lounging on the pack ice – Antarctica 2018

Crabeater Seals lounging on the pack ice – Antarctica 2018

Crabeater Seals lounging on the pack ice. After sailing south for four days, we arrived off Cape Adare early in the morning. The sea was calm and the sun was shining. The ship was surrounded by ice bergs glistening in the bright sunshine. The peaks of Antarctica were...

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Adelie Penguins on ice floes – Antarctica 2018

Adelie Penguins on ice floes – Antarctica 2018

Numerous Adelie Penguins occupied the ice floes: everyone’s idea of the archetypal penguin. After sailing south from Macquarie Island for four days, we arrived off Cape Adare early in the morning. The sea was calm and the sun was shining. The ship was surrounded by...

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Off Cape Adare – Antarctica, 2018

Off Cape Adare – Antarctica, 2018

After sailing south from Macquarie Island for four days, we arrived off Cape Adare early in the morning. The sea was calm and the sun was shining. The ship was surrounded by ice bergs glistening in the bright sunshine. The peaks of Antarctica were visible ahead of us....

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King and Royal Penguins – Macquarie Island, Antarctica 2018

King and Royal Penguins – Macquarie Island, Antarctica 2018

Sailing south from The Auckland Islands we were heading to one of the jewels of the Subantarctic Islands: Macquarie Island. Australia’s Macquarie Island is home to a wealth of wildlife which is now flourishing since the eradication of induced species like rabbits,...

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Royal Penguins – Macquarie Island, Antarctica 2018

Royal Penguins – Macquarie Island, Antarctica 2018

Sailing south from The Auckland Islands we were heading to one of the jewels of the Sub Antarctic Islands: Macquarie Island. Australia’s Macquarie Island is home to a wealth of wildlife which is now flourishing since the eradication of induced species like rabbits,...

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Skuas of Enderby Island – New Zealand 2018

Skuas of Enderby Island – New Zealand 2018

We had sailed from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island heading towards the Subantarctic Islands. Enderby Island is one of the northerly islands of the Auckland Islands. This archipelago was formed from two volcanoes and the remains of the calderas...

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Hooker Sea Lions – Enderby Island, New Zealand 2018

Hooker Sea Lions – Enderby Island, New Zealand 2018

We had sailed from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island heading towards the Subantarctic Islands. Enderby Island is one of the northerly islands of the Auckland Islands. This archipelago was formed from two volcanoes and the remains of the calderas...

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Yellow-eyed Penguins – Enderby Island, New Zealand 2018

Yellow-eyed Penguins – Enderby Island, New Zealand 2018

We had sailed from Bluff on the south coast of New Zealand’s South Island heading towards the Sub Antarctic Islands. Enderby Island is one of the northerly islands of the Auckland Islands. This archipelago was formed from two volcanoes and the remains of the calderas...

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Antarctic Petrel – Antarctica 2018

Antarctic Petrel – Antarctica 2018

The Antarctic Petrel is often gregarious and will form large flocks. They are often seen near the pack ice and icebergs. They have a wing span of abut 1m and weigh 675g. Performs distinctive stiff winged glides.

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Gibson’s Albatross – New Zealand 2018

Gibson’s Albatross – New Zealand 2018

Gibson’s Albatross weigh up to 11kg and a wing span approaching 3m. There is a huge scientific debate about the genetic relationships between all the Great Albatrosses. In any case they are very difficult to identify!!

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Southern Royal Albatross – New Zealand 2018

Southern Royal Albatross – New Zealand 2018

These birds have a wig span of 3-3.5m and weigh in at a impressive 6-10kg. They stand 1-1.2m tall. Whilst Enderby Island has a small breeding population, it is Campbell Island that has the majority of breeding pairs: perhaps up to 8600 pairs. They form life-long pair...

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Cape Petrel – Antarctica 2018

Cape Petrel – Antarctica 2018

This unmistakable, pigeon sized bird has distinctive markings. A very manoeuvrable flyer has stiff and shallow wing beats followed by short glides. They are well known to follow ships.

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White-capped Albatross – New Zealand 2018

White-capped Albatross – New Zealand 2018

The vast majority of these birds breed on the Auckland Islands but they will disperse into the Southern Ocean towards the west coast of South America. They are easily confused with the Shy Albatross and young Savin’s Albatross. It ahs a wing span of 2.2-2.5m and...

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Campbell Albatross – New Zealand 2018

Campbell Albatross – New Zealand 2018

One of the small albatrosses, breeding is mostly  restricted to Campbell Island but they disperse widely in the non-breeding season. They have a wing span of around 2m and weigh in at up to 3.8kg. They are very similar to the Black-browed Albatross. Remarkably little...

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Greater Snow Petrel – Antarctica 2018

Greater Snow Petrel – Antarctica 2018

These stocky little birds have a wingspan of about 75-95cm and are very similar to the Lesser Snow Petrel. That feed mostly on fish, crustacea and cephalopods by surface diving, surface seizing and contact dipping. They are monogamous and form long-term pair-bonds.

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Northern Giant Petrels – New Zealand 2018

Northern Giant Petrels – New Zealand 2018

With a weight of up to 5kg and a wingspan of 1.5-2m Northern Giant Petrels are albatross-sized birds. They can be either predators or scavengers. This bird can be solitary of found in small groups. It is monogamous and forms longterm pair-bonds

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