Elephant Seal Census Day

What religion did we write down for them? Sloth.

This trip was again down to Hurd Point to count elephant seal numbers on the yearly census day: October 15. The area we were doing the census in was from Hurd Point, around the east coast and North to the old hut at South Lusitania Bay (photo to follow). As I was on this trip with the ranger-in-charge (yes, Macquarie Island is a National Park) we ended up doing extra work, such as replacing track markers, on top of the seal count and I followed his lead as to how close I was allowed to get to the wildlife. Essentially, don't approach them but they may approach you.

Ranger Paul counting the ele's with the hut in the background

Interestingly, the only wildlife willing to approach us this time around were the skuas (there's a post on them somewhere earlier in this blog). There was one time while on top of the plateau that they trotted over to us to see if we were about to start dying so that they could, but instead one of them pecked at my walking pole. Then while doing the count on Hurd Point a skua decided that my boot looked tasty. As I've said before, these guys are cheeky bastards and they have no fear. That's enough of that tangent.

So what was the other motivation for doing this particular trip? Well, the area we did the counting in is closed for recreational walking, we have to be working in the area to be allowed in there... which brings up close and personal with the Royal penguins, endemic to Macca.

A small colony next to the Hurd Point hut. They were rather loud all night.

The endemic Royal penguin

Um, that's one whole colony.

A King with his Royal court. Or maybe he's hoping they don't notice that he's different...

New born pup

This one new the photo was being taken

The old South Lusi hut. Made out of an aeroplane engine packing crate.