Perched on a tiny sliver of rock, surrounded by snow and ice, a tiny cluster of blue buildings house a beehive of activity. The National Science Foundation's Palmer Station joins McMurdo and the Amundsen-Scott South Polar Stations to form the core of American based scientific research on the Antarctic continent. One is likely to find an expert on anything here; from climatic changes to ocean productivity, from elephant seals to penguin behavior or the role we humans play in the intricate web of life upon our planet. This was a fitting place to spend our last day in Antarctica for we too have been contributing to the storehouse of knowledge rapidly accumulating concerning this place once known as "Tierra Incognita".
Not only are we the subjects in studies of the effect of tourism on penguin colonies but a number of us have chosen to become Oceanities assistants. Standing at the edge of a colony of penguin nests, arms outstretched, thumbs tap a rhythmic tune on a tiny instrument affectionately known as a "clicker". Lindblad Expeditions is the official means of transportation for this group whose goal is to establish a baseline of data on nesting penguins and productivity. By ranging far and wide in our explorations, we extend the eyes and ears of scientists tied tightly to their stations by a paucity of transportation.
Adelie penguin chicks are naturally gray balls of fluff. Their pot-bellied, pear-shaped bodies are supported by two enormous pinkish feet placed well apart to support this rotund mass in an unsteady, staggering gait. Pursuing their parents in a traditional "feeding chase" they sway from side to side like the roly-poly toys of a human toddler, occasionally toppling too far, landing face down on a rock. Just like the toys they bounce back rapidly to an upright posture. Tiny forelimbs flap back and forth as if made of rubber and totally jointless. Soon the cartilage will ossify and their wings become solid, effective underwater flying machines. Their down will drift away on the wind, pushed out by perfectly imbricated adult plumage designed for waterproofing and warmth. The Adelie colony on Torgersen Island has been studied for more than twenty years so the appearance of this odd-ball "pinto" chick was no surprise. The progress of its molt will be closely monitored, as will its return or not to the colony in future years. We too will be vigilant with our observations searching for similar individuals and reporting their presence whenever or wherever found.
