First, we get 8 people into the helicopter and take off for the short trip to the rookery. ...
It is cozy inside especially with heavy coats, boots, life vest (in red), and our cameras and binoculars.
I don't remember recognizing the rookery, but my camera was prepared. That brown spot our there is home to about 20,000 emperors! It is actually on the thick ice not too far from land.
We land and get clear of the chopper blades. Then the helicopter goes back for another group of 8. It takes a few hours to get everybody out there.
To protect the penguins, we must land no closer than 1 mile (1.5 kilometers () from the rookery.
Halfway, we encounter a reception committee. They are curious about all these yellow creatures with cameras.
The babies stand about 2 feet (60 cm) tall with gray fur. In another month they will start getting feathers like the parents. Many of the parents are out to sea getting food for themselves and to bring back to the babies who have no way to get food on their own. They are obviously well-nourished.
We are not permitted to get closer than 30 feet (10 meters), but the penguins are allowed to come closer - and they often do. It is best to sit or lie down and they may come closer.
Here we see a an adult parent feeding a chick.
The temperature is in the mid-20s F (-5 C) with a gentle wind and brilliant sunshine. Our resident artist, David McEown is doing a water-color painting.
Besides watching the ever-fascinating penguins, some of us spent some time enjoying the incredible silence and beauty of the ice and snow. There were a just few places where one could get away from the considerable chirping of the chicks.
After many hours out on the ice and snow, it was quite a relief to see this sight. Just behind this snow pile and down a few steps and there it was ............
my dog, Clyde, taught me never to pass up a fire hydrant so I gave it a try. A small number of men and women did also. The rest decided to wait for the helicopter back to the ship.
Each time we made a landing by helicopter or zodiac, an advance crew set up a base camp with food, first aid, and communications equipment. The weather can change from sunshine to blizzard in just a few minutes and prevent an immediate evacuation.
On this day the sunshine prevailed. The only casualty was sunburn. One person stepped into a crack in the ice and fell down up to her shoulders. There is seldom any warnings.
Here is the ship in the ice. There is some open water in the Ross Sea, but we went through many days of very thick ice to get here. We are about 850 miles from the South Pole.
It is strange to see the ship just sitting on the ice.
Nearby the penguins are curious. They parade around the ship and enjoy the people with cameras - who enjoy the penguins immensely.
Because we were so close, we could watch them literally fly in and out of the cold water (29 degrees F , -1 degrees C).
It is after 8 PM and time for our badly sunburned explorer to avoid the crack in the ice and go to dinner.
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