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 ice bergs glistening in the bright sunshine. The peaks of Antarctica were visible ahead of us. Adelie Penguins were dotted around on the ice floes as was the occasional Crabeater seal. Assorted sea birds flew around the ship. It was a magical scene. We took to the zodiacs for a beautiful, late morning cruise in the Ross Sea with Cape Adare providing a stunning backdrop. There was a gentle swell causing the ice floes to move slowly up and down.
Numerous Adelie Penguins occupied the ice floes. These are true Antarctic Penguins rarely found above 60oS. They are probably everyone’s idea of the archetypal penguin. The global population is around 2.4 million with around 1 million being found here in the Ross Sea. These Penguins feed on crustacea, fish and cephalopods which they catch by pursuit diving 20-40m below the surface.