The endangered yellow-eyed penguin makes its way down “Penguin Alley” towards the beach on the Auckland Islands of New Zealand. Photo by Kristen Honig
Photographer Kristen Honig on Macquarie Island, a subantarctic Australian territory known for its diverse wildlife and the only place on earth where rocks from the earth’s mantle are actively exposed above sea level. Courtesy photo
The endangered yellow-eyed penguin makes its way down “Penguin Alley” towards the beach on the Auckland Islands of New Zealand. Photo by Kristen Honig
The endangered yellow-eyed penguin makes its way down ‘Penguin Alley’ towards the beach on the Auckland Islands of New Zealand. Photo by Kristen Honig
BY KRISTEN HONIG
Los Alamos
When I embarked on a trip to Antarctica in 2018, I never imaged it would be the start of a quest to see every penguin species of the world in their natural habitats. How many species you ask? Technically, scientists are up to 19 in total with the recent separation of the Eastern and Western Rockhopper (formerly known as the Southern Rockhopper). There are 6 in the Subantarctic Islands south and east of Argentina, 2 on the continent of Antarctica, 7 in the Subantarctic Islands of Australia and New Zealand, and one species each in South Africa, Galapagos, and Peru/Chile. Perhaps the most difficult to access is the Northern Rockhopper, found only on a few remote islands of the southern Atlantic Ocean.
I had been privileged to observe nine species so far, inhabiting Antarctica and the Subantarctic Islands off South America (Emperor, Adélie, Chinstrap, Macaroni, King, Gentoo, Western Rockhopper, Magellanic), as well as the Galapagos penguin near the equator. In January, I travelled to Dunedin, New Zealand for a 15-day expedition to visit the other Subantarctic Islands (affectionately known as the Subs). In addition to penguins, the Subs are host to a variety of other avian and marine wildlife including seals, whales, and at least 10 different albatross species. They are also known for their Megaherbs—herbaceous, perennial wildflowers characterized by their large leaves and colorful flowers. Unlike the more popular cruises to the Antarctic peninsula which average 120,000 visitors per year, the Subs host only 1,500 people annually and are strictly controlled by permit.
On Macquarie Island, an emperor penguin partially lifts his brood pouch to check the egg incubating on his feet. Photo by Kristen Honig
Over the course of two weeks, we spotted 6 of the 7 possible penguin species (Little/Blue, Snares Crested, Erect Crested, Royal, Yellow-eyed, and Eastern Rockhopper). The Fjordland Crested Penguin eluded most of us, with a few grainy photos being the exception. We saw Pilot and Arnoux’s beaked whales, orcas, bottlenose dolphins, elephant seals, and the endemic New Zealand fur seals and sea lions. We also observed many species of albatross, including the Northern and Southern Royal, Buller’s, Light-mantled, Gray-headed, Black-browed, Campbell, and Antipodean.
We were treated to amazing weather for much of the trip, with unusably calm and sunny days in a region known for the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties. This clear weather, combined with the peak solar cycle, resulted in an amazing display of the Aurora Australis. Occurring in tandem with the Aurora Borealis, the Southern Lights are much more difficult to observe because there are fewer places on land that align with the southern aurora oval and are accessible at a time when the sky gets dark. The lights were mostly white to the naked eye but flickered and danced with high frequency. It was a spectacular addition to an already amazing adventure.
Fifteen down, four more to go…
The Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, dance in the skies overhead near the Auckland slands of New Zealand. Photo by Kristen Honig
A Buller’s Albatross lands on the ocean off the coast of the Snares Islands of New Zealand. Photo by Kristen Konig
The Campbell Island carrot (Anisotome latifolia), with pink flower clumps the size of tennis balls and stems like rhubarb, flourishes on the Auckland Islands of New Zealand. Photo by Kristen Honig