|
Wildlife
Penguins and Seals:
They have no natural predators here. Only the Emperor Penguins
stay the winter however.
Albatross:
Live up to 50 years. Some species follow ships in bad weather.
Much popular with sailors and considered good luck. (Except by
the Penguins as some Albatross feed on Penguin chicks.)
Gulls:
Have been known to fly all the way to the South Pole. Some
species are aggressive to humans, with glide-fly attacks to the
head. Feels like getting hit by a cold turkey. As for now,
swinging a pole overhead is the only counter-action found by the
Scientists at Antarctica.
Shags:
White with marble blue eyes.
Terns:
Spends the Austral summers in the Arctic and the northern summer
at Antarctica. Thus they enjoy perpetual sunlight.
Whales:
Several species, among them the Blue Whale, Sperm whale and
Killer whale (Orcas).
Other marine:
Plankton, krill, squid and the Antarctic cod, living as far as
1500ft (450m) down in the freezing waters. The cod can weigh up to 125lbs
(57kg) and looks odd and ancient. Many fish have low metabolic rates
and some no hemoglobin at all - their blood thus being white.
Insects:
Midges, mites and springtails. Some doesn't freeze due to
anti-freeze in their cells (much like the Glycol poured into
car-petrol in winter). Others let them selves freeze-dry, by
evaporating 99% of the water in their system.
Plants:
Seaweed, mosses, algae, lichen.
|