Species: Gentoo penguins | Location: Pleneau Island, Antarctica
The French Antarctic Expedition of 1903 - 1905 overwintered at Pleneau Island. We were at that site on February 1, the middle of the Antarctic summer, when penguins take advantage of the relatively mild weather to raise their chicks. Obviously, "mild" is a relative term since we arrived in the middle of a mid-summer snowstorm. With no trees or grasses to use for nesting material, the gentoo builds its nest out of pebbles. The two chicks in this family are a sign of a healthy gentoo colony. These chicks and their parent huddle against the snow, eyes closed tight. We pass by, looking in decreasing visibility for the ice-choked cove and stone hut that housed that early 20th century expedition.
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