Yankee Harbor
	Sealers first discovered Yankee Harbor in the early 1820s. They were after seals such as this Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddelli) hauled up on the land to rest. Captain James Weddell discovered this species of seal in 1823 on his “voyage to the South Pole.” A typical Weddell seal is 10ft long and weights 900 pounds. They can dive to 1,900 feet where they hunt for fish. The seal also eats krill and squid. During the winter months the Weddell seal uses its teeth to grind through the ice in order to create a breathing hole. Older animals’ teeth are usually very worn, and this has been speculated as a cause of death. The animals haul up on land to rest, and the one that we saw was oblivious to his human onlookers.
In addition to the numerous Gentoo penguins nesting in Yankee Harbor, a single Macaroni penguin (Eudytes chrysolophus) was mixed into the rookery. Its pronounced beak and orange/ yellow head feathers distinguish this species of penguin. This was the only penguin of this species that we observed throughout the entire trip.
	This is a clump of krill that was regurgitated by a penguin who came back from a trip to the ocean. Krill are a shrimp-like organism that is the keystone species in the Antarctic system. Krill feed on phytoplankton, which are non-motile photosynthetic organisms. In turn, a majority of the animals in the Antarctic system depend on krill as a source of food. The largest animal in the world, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), to the smallest seabirds depend on the abundant stocks of krill to sustain themselves. There is also a commercial fishery for krill. There are currently protocols in place that maintain a sustainable catch so enough remains for the animals, while the desires of people are also met.
This gentoo penguin just stole a pebble from a nearby nest. His mate will be very proud of him! Next time he/she better make sure not to get smacked with a wing or pecked at.
	As awkward as it is for penguins to walk on land, sometimes they resort to the belly-slide approach. Using their feet and wings they glide along the snow.
Hundreds of penguins were making their way to and from the ocean, each going their own way. Others were preening their feathers after getting out of the water. They do this to ensure their insulation keeps them as warm as possible. The penguins have a gland near their tail that excretes an oil to help them acomplish this important task.
	Yankee Harbor also had a lot of snow, and only those patches that had melted were available for the penguins to build their nests. The areas that were available often had high densities of birds, but they made sure to stay out of pecking range from each other.