PE014w: Emperor Penguins preparing for the winter
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Picture facts:
Camera: Nikon FM2 with 35-70mm
zoom and UV filter
Film: Fuji Provia 400ASA (RHP)
Film: Fuji Provia 400ASA (RHP)
Aperture & shutter speed not
recorded.
Emperor Penguins preparing for winter
This
picture of the Emperor penguins silhouetted was taken
on the 6th-May, a few days after the last sighting
of the sun for the Antarctic winter. The colony
is situated on sea-ice in the Weddell sea area of Antarctica,
at around 75.5°S, 26°W.Three of us spent the weekend staying at a caboose near the penguin colony to get this picture. The outside temperature was around -40°C (-40°F), and in my journal I wrote that even after 4 hours heating the hut -
"The floor temperature is about -24°C (-11°F) and every few minutes I'm having to put my pen in my mouth to warm it up to write properly again.... Waking in the morning to temperatures below -40°C will not be fun."
The hut itself was little more than a garden shed..
To get down to the sea-ice to see the penguin colony we were fortunate to find a snow slope which we could walk down. This saved us from having to abseil down the cliff. Even worse would have been the tiring and very cold climb up the rope on the way back.
Once on the sea-ice I got the picture of the penguins by lying on the ice to silhouette the emperor penguins against the orange sky to the north. I took over a dozen photos as a small group walked past, heading for the main colony of about 5000 penguins a short distance away.
The final picture is very poignant for me as it highlights the isolation of Antarctica & the incredible fortitude of the Emperor Penguins to live there. They experience temperatures below -50°C (-58°F) while they live without food for almost 4 months. If that isn't enough already they do this while incubating their eggs on their feet!
They
survive by huddling together, and they are continually
moving so that they take it in turns to be exposed
to the cold wind on the outside of the group.