There are a number of islands around
Antarctica that are in the Southern Ocean but are north of the
Antarctic Circle, these are called sub-Antarctic Islands.
They are characterized by significantly warmer temperatures
than Antarctica within the circle, while they may still have
ice-caps and glaciers, they are usually substantially ice free.
Their position, climate and lack of ice mean
that they are almost inevitably a haven for wildlife such as
sea-birds and seals that feed at sea in the rich Antarctic waters
especially in the summer months. This is all the more so as
such islands are relatively few and very far between, so they
often serve as a nest site and general respite for many thousands
of birds and mammals.
While penguin colonies further south may provide
the classic scenery for penguins amongst the snow and ice, it
is the sub-Antarctic Islands that are home for the great majority
of penguins in Antarctica.
As maritime Antarctic islands, the weather
is usually cloudy, wet and windy - this goes for pretty much
all of the islands.
Campbell Island is a World Heritage Site as
designated by UNESCO.
Picture courtesy of Mike Usher
- Mike went on a Ross Sea expedition on board the Kapitan Khlebnikov
in 2005.
You can purchase a selection of Mike's pictures
here
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