I am the one who descends beneath the surface of the frigid southern ocean of the Antarctic. Everyday I capture images and come back on board to watch this unexplored world with everyone else. What a tremendous opportunity I have to share our pristine marine life with a group of enthusiastic guests back on board. Never knowing what to expect, we have all been amazed by the diversity and beauty of the undersea world.
On our ROV explorations I came across krill at depths down to 87 meters. Krill is the staple food for penguins and is also eaten by baleen whales, seals, fish, squid and other sea birds. The picture above is an Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) regurgitating masticated krill to feed its hungry chick.
Krill are crustaceans known as euphausiids. Technically, the term "krill " in Antarctic waters refers to only one species of euphausiid, Euphausia superba, found in the Antarctic. More generally, "krill" covers the ninety species of euphausiids worldwide. Krill only live in water less than 4.5 degrees centigrade, where they form dense swarms, usually made up of individuals from the same age group. These swarms give the surface of the ocean a pinkish or reddish color, because they contain a caroteroid pigment within their chromatophores.
We are on our way to Punta Arenas, Chile. We left the Antarctic last night and are now enjoying a fairly calm Drake Passage. I have lots of beautiful memories of a world I will never forget, and to which I will return very soon.
