Image courtesy of Jean Pennycook

From: Jean Pennycook
Cape Royds, Antarctica, November 12, 2007

Antarctica Bound

The breeding season for Adelie Penguins is Nov-Feb. This is summertime for Antarctica even though the temperature rarely gets above freezing. Our team of penguin researchers left the states on a journey to the penguins colonies which took almost a week and over 20 hours of flying time; first in commercial jumbo jets, then US military transport, then small helicopters. The journey is worth the effort because our goal is to spend the next 2 months with the Adelies as they raise their families in this remarkable place of ice and wind. Our home during that time is the small yellow tent and our only power will come from the solar panels you see. The penguin colony is about .5 miles down a trail of volcanic rock which we will walk every day to visit the 2000 breeding pairs.

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Postcards from the Field: Adelie Penguins 2007

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