Relics of the whaling days

February 1, 1994

The far side of Port Lockroy

In the back of the island, there was a skeletal wooden shack near the shore, and the huge bones of at least one whale. It was probably a Minke, since several were spotted (alive) when we arrived in the harbor. The bones were all jumbled, with huge curved ribs mixed with a long flat spine (I think). There were huge (foot and a half at least, a foot for the round part) vertebrae thrown around, now white and either rotting or just gnawed at by erosion.

Whale bones in a jumbled heap, and a nearby vertebra

The shack used by the flensers

In the water off the island about 20 yards on this side, there were a few rocks standing in the water, with a leopard seal on the far side, waiting for unwary penguins to come too close. It looked just like a rock itself when it wasn't moving, round and shiny and colored just like the rocks.


You may observe some unusual penguin behavior, or return to today's table of contents.