07 Dec 2019

A Day to Remember on Macquarie Island

Waking to a medium swell wrapping around Macquarie Island, wind and a decent chop we sent out a Zodiac to pick up our ranger guides and investigate. Given the conditions we made the call to move around to the shelter of Sandy Bay and make our landing there.

Here, among King and Royal Penguins in their hundreds, Skua, Giant Petrel and Shags this remote Subantarctic Australian outpost delivered yet another incredible experience. A definite highlight was the abundance of curious Southern Elephant Seal 'weaners' with their huge black eyes - the young pups marking time as they grow before heading out to sea.

With so many photographic opportunities, expeditioners were in danger of filling their memory cards and, after an eventful morning exploring ashore and with cheeks sore from smiling and laughing, we made our way back to the Spirit of Enderby for lunch.

During lunch we steamed down to the southern end of Macquarie to Lusitania Bay, the fabled site of an enormous colony of King Penguins. Loading the Zodiacs with eager expeditioners, we cruised along the shoreline experiencing firsthand the unforgettable noise, smell and scenes of one of the world's largest gatherings of King Penguins - some 150,000 plus pairs - as well as Royal, Gentoo and Eastern Rockhopper Penguins, satisfying even the most ardent penguin fans.

Images (c) N.Serkalev, Heritage Expeditions