The crew of the M/V Arctic Sunrise, an icebreaker vessel owned by Greenpeace, were sailing through Antarctica’s Weddell Sea this month when they saw something they didn’t expect. “One of the scientists on board, Alex Borowicz … was looking through the binoculars from the bridge of our ship,” Louisa Casson, an ocean campaigner with Greenpeace […]
Tag: antarctica
‘It is phenomenal’: Farne Islands seal numbers expected to reach new high
“This is what it’s all about,” said Richard Bevan, beaming. “To see this many seals when 10 years ago there would not have been any.” Bevan is a zoologist surveying the shore of Inner Farne island off the coast of north Northumberland. As far as the eye can sea there are about 100 female grey […]
‘Super rare’: Antarctic penguin washes up in New Zealand, 3,000km from home
An Antarctic penguin has traversed 3,000km of icy waters to find himself far from home and on new and puzzling shores: the south-eastern coastline of New Zealand. The Adélie penguin in question, affectionately named “Pingu” by locals, was spotted looking somewhat lost at Birdlings Flat, a small settlement on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s only […]
Penguin escapes killer whales by hopping onto boat full of tourists
A penguin was captured on film escaping from a pod of killer whales by jumping into a boat full of tourists in Antarctica. The extraordinary spectacle followed a dramatic chase in which the bird circled the tour boat and attempted repeatedly to leap out of the water to safety. The frightened penguin was being pursued […]
POLL: Should Australia be allowed to construct a new airport and runway in Antarctica?
Australia is planning to build Antarctica’s biggest infrastructure project: a new airport and runway that would increase the human footprint in the world’s greatest wilderness by an estimated 40%. The mega-scheme is likely to involve blasting petrel rookeries, disturbing penguin colonies and encasing a stretch of the wilderness in more than 115,000 tonnes of concrete. […]
Blue Whales Return to South Georgia from Antarctica after 100 Years
Endangered blue whales, the largest animal in history, have returned to waters of South Georgia, close to Antarctica after 100 years of near extinction. Scientists have recorded dozens of whales in the area after only a single whale had been viewed between 1998 and 2018. “We’ve had indications in previous years that there might […]
World’s Largest Iceberg on Course to Hit Penguin Populations
The world’s largest iceberg is headed for Antarctica. Scientists say there’s a possibility the iceberg could anchor itself offshore of the South Atlantic island. This spot is home to thousands of seals and penguins, which would see their food gathering disrupted should the island get the iceberg. If it stays on course, the iceberg would […]
Adélie penguins could thrive as result of sea ice melting
Adélie penguin populations could boom in coming years, according to research revealing the small birds find it easier to forage when sea ice is sparse around continental Antarctica. While, overall, sea ice extent has increased in the Antarctic over recent decades, in the past few years it has fallen dramatically – a matter of deep […]