Silhouettes of fur seals on a hilltop
The rookeries had thousands of penguins in them, covering entire areas of the high rocks and hilltops of the island, and the lower areas covered with lichen.
A peak in the penguin rookery (note predator bird at the very top, and braying penguin just below)
I spent some time watching the penguins, observing their behavior. Some of them seemed aware of us, and even interested in us, or in showing off for us. One guy (gal?) even stood on a pedestal for us, all cleaned up and ready to be photographed.
What a ham...!
I did have the opportunity of observe the signs of the ever-present struggle for survival in the Antarctic. On a high part of the island, I found the remains of a penguin, probably killed by a leopard seal. The skin was slit open and turned inside out, as leopard seals do, and the skeleton was a couple of feet away. My hypothesis is that a seal killed the bird in the water, and a petrel or skua carried the leftovers higher onto the island, since the seals seldom come so far out of the water.
Remains of a penguin, most likely killed by a leopard seal