02/09/2024
Since the BBC Dynasties film crew left Antarctica, the colony of Emperor Penguins has continued to thrive.
They returned to the same location on the same week in 2018 as they did in 2017, the numbers suggest a good breeding year with approximately 12,000 animals.
At time of publishing, the colony is still in its ‘crèching’ period. The dedicated parents are feeding their chicks and many are well-grown. By the middle of December the first young penguins will start to lose their baby feathers and head out to sea, a move that will continue through January. Then, they will remain in the ocean until they become adults, and are ready to reproduce, after three or four years. The breeding adults will return to Atka Bay in April. Sometimes they return a little early and have to wait until the ice freezes before they can colonise their temporary home. In 2017, the penguins spent a couple of days on an ice float, going in and out with the tide until the ice was stable.