| Stretching from the tip of South America to | | | | We were surrounded by hundreds of penguins, |
| Antarctica, Drake?s Passage is some of the | | | | from all sides. A group of researchers shared this |
| world?s hardest water to cross. That 400 mile | | | | bit of land in Paradise Harbor with these |
| stretch of water has some of the worst | | | | disheveled and gentle little penguins. Many waddled |
| reported sea weather in the world, ad is a place | | | | about very purposefully in every direction. Some |
| where no speck of land big or small could cause | | | | of them stood atop rocky outcroppings watching |
| the currents a moment's pause in their collision | | | | the red-parka'd interlopers who were smiling, |
| course toward one another. I was expecting see | | | | pointing, and taking photos. Many of the penguin |
| nothing more than icebergs and penguins. I had no | | | | parents had already left their chicks on their own |
| idea what to expect. I did not know the political | | | | - expecting that they would be able to fend for |
| alliances, the lay of the land, nor did I have any | | | | themselves. Some of these "kids" were still living |
| concept of the wild, unrestrained power there. | | | | in denial of this situation. They eat krill at this |
| While we were warned ahead of time of the | | | | stage, and the chicks are used the parents |
| possible dangers of braving Drake's Passage, the | | | | regurgitating it into their mouths. |
| trip down was without incident. However, the | | | | Many of these penguins were also going through |
| return trip provided more than enough thrills for | | | | different stages of molting. The majority of their |
| even the most avid thrill seeker. Our first morning | | | | baby coats had been replaced by feathers. But, |
| in Antarctica, we were greeted by a calm gray | | | | some gray down still stayed on hard to reach |
| sea. | | | | places. They looked like they were wearing hats |
| Hazy, brownish gray mountains ringed the | | | | and earmuffs, or had gotten a really bad hair cut. |
| distance and were capped in snow. Soon we saw | | | | We made our way back to the ship through |
| the first of the ice. Tiny ice chunks floated around | | | | chunks of floating ice in the beautiful bay. Upon |
| the boat, bobbing in the water. I rushed outside | | | | one such jagged, little mountain of ice that our |
| into the freezing air after throwing on the red | | | | driver took us past rested a lone majestic seal. |
| parka supplied by the ship. I also grabbed my | | | | As we passed by he gave a long, pink-tongued |
| camera. | | | | yawn as if to say that he didn't care what we |
| The sky and sea met each other with a similar | | | | were up to and that our business was probably |
| shade of gunmetal gray, and we spent most of | | | | unimportant anyhow. |
| that day listening to lectures by our shipboard | | | | Penguins are always so very charming. Penguins |
| naturalists or rushing outside whenever a whale, | | | | and their waddle belies their gawky nature. The |
| dolphin, or penguin sighting was reported. We | | | | formal look of their feathers combined with the |
| were in a great mood as we took off in our small | | | | orange webbed feet Having more rocks than dirt, |
| raft from the mother ship, and began floating | | | | this area allowed the penguins to stay more clean. |
| free amongst the icebergs. Penguins lined the | | | | They appear to have chubby cheeks due to the |
| shoreline and contemplated the water. They | | | | black line beneath their chins. This gives them a |
| stood on an icy, rocky island and considered us as | | | | jaunty air to their whole look and ambience. |
| we floated by. | | | | |