02 Dec 2023

Penguins as far as the eye can see – Visiting colonies on Macquarie Island

Awaking to a slightly overcast morning, we had another spectacular day on Macquarie Island planned. It was back at Sandy Bay to observe the King and Royal Penguins and Elephant Seals. Even after yesterday's adventure, we are still awed by the abundance of wildlife and their curious nature. It was a surreal experience to be here.

Immersing ourselves in the captivating wildlife, we spent the morning taking photographs before returning to the comforts of Heritage Adventurer for a delicious lunch. Following lunch, we sailed down the East Coast to the end of the island, passing several impressive penguin colonies. One of our guests Julie had spent many years on Macquarie Island doing research and gave us an excellent commentary pointing out sites of interest along the way. We observed the massive King Penguin Colony at Lusitania Bay, which was home to approximately 100,000 King Penguins. The beach had historic boilers rusting away amongst the thick sea of black and white penguins. At the tip, was the Hurd Point colony, the largest Royal Penguin colony with approximately 300,000 Royal Penguins. It was a spectacular site as we gazed upon penguins as far as the eye could see.

Julie then gave us a presentation on the research she had completed on Macquarie Island, followed by informative recaps by the expedition team and the True Young Explorers. Over a delicious dinner, we enjoyed watching the Albatross soar past with snowflakes falling outside.

Images © T. Todd, Heritage Expeditions