Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Auckland Islands...........

...........where our landing was on Enderby Island, the northernmost island of the large group..........a World Heritage Site.
The early morning landing in Sandy Bay was perfect - bright sunshine, flat water, and the Yellow-Eyed penguins were watching out for our arrival.




Orion at anchor in Sandy Bay, Enderby Island - large colonies of seals and Hooker sea lions lazing around on the beach.


Easy landing - quite warm temperatures made it pleasant for walking.


These islands only permit a specific number of tourists annually.......all arrive by expedition ships.



A few old rusting buildings remain on Enderby where a small research station once operated.............loved the daisies.



The seals were playing in the area known as 'penguin alley'................. 


............and on the sandy beach...........


........some just snoozing in the warm sun as we walked quietly by.



The Yellow-Eyed penguins on their way to the water for some serious swimming......



..............and diving from the pristine beach.


A wonderful morning on Enderby Island and then back to the ship for lunch.  In the afternoon we returned for a Zodiac expedition around the shoreline.............


..........the penguins were still watching from the rocky cliffs.  More pics coming of this lovely place.

3 comments:

  1. Mary, I think National Geographic is likely to contact you if they see the photos from your trip. Each one is totally amazing. You have no idea how special it is that you are sharing all these gorgeous images of your trip.
    Happy Holiday ~ Sarah

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  2. So beautiful! What a trip you had! It's so nice to see these islands preserved and the animals protected. Beatiful photos once again. Happy Thanksgiving to you Mary! Blessings, Pamela

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  3. Penguins and seals, what more can you ask. And now you are off to see the elephants. What wonderful adventures with the wild life of our planet.

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