Tour to Australian Antarctic base ANARE on Macquarie Island
29 November 2007

The exploration of Macquarie island continues, today with a landing in the australian ANARE scientific base and then with a zodiac cruise along Lusitania bay, where there is one of the largest King penguin colony of the world.

(Click on a picture to see an enlarged version)

Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia) King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia)
Once landed at ANARE, I am again in the middle of king penguins and elephant seals.

 

Gentoo penguin, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
A gentoo penguin.

 

Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica

 

The remains of the tools used the past century to process penguins, elephant seals and fur seals, to get oil and skin. It was a terrible time for those animals, when they were just exterminated without any consideration for the terrible damage to the ecosystem. Luckily, today penguins and elephant seals are protected like humans on this island.

 

Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
Elephant seals can be found everywhere throughout the ANARE scientific base.

 

Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia)
Over this building there is a web cam sending through internet a current picture of ANARE every ten minutes. See http://www.aad.gov.au and follow the links to Macquarie island web cam.

 

Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia) King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
Those nice penguins look like employers moving through the ANARE base.

 

Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia) Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia)
Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica Elephant seals scattered here and there throughout the base.

 

 

Gentoo penguin, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
A small colony of Gentoo penguins and a view of the west coast of Macquarie island.

 

Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica

 

Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia) Scientific ANARE base on Macquarie island (Australia)
The post office and the station's dining room. The station is populated throughout the year by alternating personnel. Here they research mainly the atmosphere and the earth's magnetism.

 

 

Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
Elephant seals, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica It is now time to go back on the beach and leave ANARE base. In the meanwhile, a very young elephant seal did go to investigate the backpacks. Above, a king penguin lacking the typical yellow color on the head.

 

King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
The ship moves to Lusitania bay. The spots visible on the beach aren't stones, but are hundred thousands of King penguins living all together in an immense colony.

 

King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica King penguins, Macquarie island, Australia sub-antarctica
As the penguins are taking the beach completely, no landing is possible here. However, a zodiac cruise along the bay is still great and unforgettable.

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NEW ZEALAND PICTURES - SUB ANTARCTIC ISLANDS PICTURES

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