New chinstrap penguin colony recorded following survey at Astrolabe Island by Viking and Oceanites Viking has announced that its expedition team supported the discovery of a new colony of chinstrap penguins not previously known to science on Diaz Rock, near Astrolabe Island, in Antarctica. The finding took place in January 2024 when Viking's expedition vessel, the Viking Octantis, visited Astrolabe Island, a three-mile-long island, located in the Bransfield Strait of the Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica. Astrolabe Island is home to a colony of chinstrap penguins that had not been surveyed since 1987. Astrolabe Island in Antarctica with Diaz Rock in the distance. Photo credit Hayley Charleton-Howard. During the visit, Viking's scientific partner, Oceanites, the leading field re...
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Avian flu outbreak detected among Cape Town’s penguin colony at Boulders
South African environmental authorities have confirmed four new infections and another seven suspected cases in a new outbreak of avian flu at Cape Town's Boulders penguin colony, a popular tourist attraction and an important breeding site, officials said on Friday. City and provincial officials said the strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza was similar to that detected among a range of wild seabirds, including Cape cormorants and common terns, since May last year after a similar outbreak in 2018 killed hundreds of endangered penguins and other birds. African penguins, also known as jackass penguins, are the only species that breed on the continent but their numbers have been falling sharply over the years due to a loss of habitat and declining fish stocks. FILE PHOTO: Enda...
Read MoreGiant iceberg threatens south Atlantic penguin colony island
An enormous iceberg is heading toward South Georgia Island in the southern Atlantic, where scientists say a collision could devastate wildlife by threatening the food chain. Scientists have long been watching this climate-related event unfold, as the iceberg - about the same size as the island itself – has meandered and advanced over two years since breaking off from the Antarctic peninsula in July 2017. A view of the A-68A iceberg from a Royal Air Force reconnaissance plane near South George island, November 18, 2020. Picture taken November 18, 2020. UK Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS The peninsula is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth, registering a record high temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius (69.35 degrees Fahrenheit) on Feb. 9. The warming has scientists ...
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