Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island, Vernadski Station and Camping
After leaving Anvord Bay, we sailed through the Lemaire Channel before anchoring for the night just below there. In the morning we land at Petermann Island which is supposed to be home to 500 pairs of Adelie Penguins, and the most southerly colony of Gentoo Penguins. However, we find relatively few Adelie Penguins and far more Gentoo's. The Quark crew has been seeing a significant drop in Adelie's here each year, probably due to global climate change. The Gentoo's are pushing further South with the milder winters and crowding out the Adelie's which prefer colder climates, so they are either shrinking in population, or at least moving further South. After Petermann Island, we visit Ukraine's Akademik Vernadsky Station. It was purchased in 1996 from the British for 1 pound (so the British didn't have to spend millions to remove everything and clean it all up). Finally, there are a few shots of those who chose the option to spend a night camping in Antarctica!