King Penguin Colony at Andrews Bay and Macaroni Penguins at Cobbler’s Bay

By Larry, Wed Oct 30

Today we went to the largest Penguin colony on the island. A rookery of about 300,000 King Penguins spread along a very wide St. Andrews Bay and the surrounding plain. We got off on the beach for a few hours and walked for miles through the Penguins. We saw all sorts of seals on the beach co-existing as they do with the penguins and petrels, and skuas. We saw the last of the reindeer herding further up from the beach. I could sit down on the beach and all the King Penguin chicks fully clothed in brown fluffy down, would walk right up to me, completely curious and unafraid. But if I did that near adults, they would walk slowly away! It was amazing to be in such a large colony and watch their interactions.

We then motored along the shore to Cobbler's Cove for the afternoon and evening. It is a beautiful, calm anchorage surrounded by hills on all sides. We climbed up the snow gully to the NW and over the top of the hill into the next bay. Many went on down the other side to see the Macaroni Penguins who were nesting in the hills. I stayed on top of the hill and watched the sooty albatross soaring and screeching along the large cliff above us. It was a relaxing afternoon, topped off by the ribs of one of our lambs for dinner that evening.


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