tiabunna's photos

From an old slide. The sad record is that when Macquarie Island was discovered by sealers in 1810, they promptly began killing the many fur seals for their pelts. One ship alone was recorded to have taken over 35,000. In total, over 200,000 were taken by the early 1820s: by then the fur seal population had been exterminated and nobody even knows what species had been there. When the ANARE station began operation in 1948 a few fur seals were found in isolated areas, but there was no record of a pup being born there until 1954. Numbers gradually increased and, in 1968, we found small numbers around the rocks on North Head. I understand the population has been increasing substantially since the early 1980s. But what species is this? I am no sealologist (if there's such a word), but three species now are living at Macquarie - the most common being the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) , the next most common the Subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis) ; and the New Zealand fur seal (A. forsteri). To make it even more complicated, it seems they all are hybidising! I'll take a guess that this is an Antarctic fur seal and will be happy to be corrected by an expert.

From an old slide. Gentoo penguins are found right around the sub-Antarctic and right around the beaches of Macquarie Island. This one, with its two eggs, was not far from the station.

From an old slide. Typical beach scene on the east coast on one of the few "good weather" days. Giant Petrel nearest camera, Skua Gulls and more Giant Petrels beyond, with Dominican Gulls in and over the water. Elephant Seals to the right, and the usual tangle of giant kelp on the beach. Penguins way in the distance.

From an old slide. This group of Rockhopper penguins, with their almost mature chicks, was fairly close to the station. Best viewed on black.

From an old slide. Rockhopper penguins are distributed around the sub-Antarctic. Usually found in small groups on rocky outcrops where they really do hop up and down the rocks. Also featured in the movie "Happy Feet". Best viewed on black.

From an old slide. Unique to the island, we knew these as Macquarie Island Cormorants, but clearly someone has changed the name.

From an old slide. The Southern Giant Petrels were usually known among Australian antarctic expeditions as "Nellies". This one nesting is in the white colour phase: dark brown/grey is the more common plumage, but they change.

From an old slide taken with a Minolta SR1 and 55/1.4 lens. For several years, an Erect-crested penguin (on the right) had been nesting on the island with a slightly-related Royal penguin (their eggs were sterile). But unlike the Royal, the Erect-crested penguin is not a native of Macquarie Island: they come from the islands to the south of New Zealand, something like 1000 km distant.

From an old slide. Royals are the most common penguins on the island, forming very large colonies. Did you notice the ring-in in this shot?