March 16, 2024 – Nightingale Island

Antarctica / By

Nightingale Island, or rather the many islands in this group are more volcanic islands from over 15 million years ago. Erosion by wind and water over the millennia has left fascinating structures that are the habitat for many sea birds, penguins and seals.

The plan today was to do a zodiac cruise around some of the islands of Nightingale. Here there were many of the Northern Rockhopper Penguins with their bright yellow fringe on the sides of their heads. There were also many fur seals, and I was lucky to catch a Yellow Nose Albatross!

Clearly, from the videos, it is easy to see how the penguins got their name. You could sit and watch them for hours on end and it never stops being entertaining.

And of course the Fur Seals are also fun to watch.

The initial plan for the afternoon was for a landing on the island. However, there were too many Fur Seals at the site, and the priority is to avoid disturbing the wildlife. So instead we did a second zodiac cruise. Many seals and penguins. At one time, there was a seal in the water that seemed to be waving to us. Along one shoreline there were many seals calling out what is a mournful sound. But the main attraction was the various rock formations, floating through the caves, and the colors in the rocks. 

Be sure to watch the videos to get the full experience.