Antarctica

And now for the main event... Penguins! I can't say that I was obsessed with penguins prior to coming down here.  I've always enjoyed them at the zoo or aquarium.  But to see them in real life, AMAZING! Snow penguins There are 2 main types of penguins down here, Adelie and Emperor.  Adelie penguins are named after a french explorer's wife and are only found in Antarctica.  They are the smaller of the two, measuring 70-73cm (28-29") and weighing 4-8 kg (8-18 lbs).  They breed from Oct-Feb, typically lay 2 eggs in a rock nest that the parents take turns lying on until the eggs hatch 32-34 days later.  The adults we see are molting at the moment and tend to group together though I've seen a few solo Adelies about.  I see Adelies more consistently near McMurdo, sometimes even waddling through town. Molting and pooping... Fun footprints My friend Adelle The Emperors are the most majestic of creatures.  They can stand up to 4 feet tall (120cm) and are a...

The weather here is wild. First thing to remind y'all of is that it's currently winter here in the southern hemisphere.  Antarctica only has 2 seasons, summer (Oct-Feb) and winter (Mar-Sept).  In the summer months, the temperature is still freezing (generally <32 degrees F, <0 degrees C) but there's sun 24 hours a day and the weather is generally milder.  Winter, on the other hand, has a mind of its own.  A blustery day with wind swirling around some snow When I arrived in mid-February, the temperature was hovering around zero (F).  The sun was still up 24 hours a day though it started setting in the 1am hour a few days after arriving.  The light has diminished by 15-20 minutes daily since then and the sun will stop rising on April 25 and won't return again until August 18th.  It won't be pitch black all day but we won't see the orb of the sun throughout those months. The daily temperature average is anywhere from 0 to -30's on a typical day (-17...