Antarctica is addictive, as most polar tourists find after their first trip. The addicts include Scott, Shackleton and many of their men, who followed them literally to the ends of the earth, on repeated occasions! The record, I believe, goes to James Wordie, a Scottish geologist, who was with Shackleton on the Endurance, and sailed on no less than nine polar expeditions.
From the thousands of digital and film images I have taken of Antarctica, I believe these are the most worthy to share. The scenery and weather constantly change, and the light is so clear at times, it is very difficult to judge distance, so that the small ridge just ahead may be a large mountain range twenty or fifty miles away! I don’t think there would be the space for me to catalogue a specimen picture of every Antarctic animal, but some lend themselves more than others to making engaging images. Penguins, especially the smaller ones, appear permanently puzzled, while the Emperor chicks must be in the contest for the cutest baby animals on the planet. Albatrosses are impressive to see, and even more impressive when you understand their peripatetic lifestyle. Elephant seals are very cute as pups and weaners, but grow into massive beasts who can be a threat to buildings and fences, not to mention personal safety, on Macquarie Island. The leopard seal could be from central casting, being the large sinister predator from the icy world.