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I photographed this King Penguin brooding an egg on its feet on South Georgia Island, Antarctica.
South Georgia Island is on the same latitude as the Falkland Islands and although it is 800 miles away from the Falklands it is politically part of the Falklands. While it is on the same latitude as the Falklands, it has an entirely different climate. The Falklands have green grass and a climate suitable for raising sheep, but South Georgia Island is a barren harsh place with an Antarctic climate. This harsh climate is a result of the Antarctic Convergence.
So what is the Antarctic Convergence? Cold water from Antarctica flows outward from the continent to a point where it dives down to the abysmal deeps of the ocean. The place where this cold water ends and the warm water begins forms a ring around the continent and is called the Antarctic Convergence.
The Antarctic Convergence stays pretty well in the same place in both summer and winter. Scientists consider anything inside the Convergence as Antarctica regardless of the latitude. The Antarctic Convergence runs between the Falklands and South Georgia Island, hence the vast difference in their climates.
South Georgia Island is about 100 miles long and it has 140 glaciers on it, so it definitely isn't your average island. The King Penguin Rookeries on South Georgia are unique in that these Penguins are on a staggered 18 month breeding cycle. As can be seen in the 'Woodstock' panorama there are chicks losing their down and almost ready to fledge in their adult feathers. There are also many birds with newly laid eggs, brooding them on their feet, as pictured above.
With their staggered breeding cycle the South Georgia King Rookeries are in existence year round. They are the only penguin rookeries in Antarctica that are in operation all year. South Georgia Island is practically wildlife from one end to the other and is one nature's truly assume places. My advice to anyone considering a trip to Antarctica is not to take a trip that doesn't visit South Georgia Island.
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This page was last updated: March 15, 2008