The station here on Macquarie Island is located on a narrow, windswept isthmus at the northern end of the island. It was established in 1948 and is the longest continuously operating Australian research station in the sub-Antarctic or Antarctica.
Living at Macquarie Island is often referred to as living in an amazing nature documentary. There’s a lot of wildlife that call the station area home, including seals, penguins and other birds.
This week the most prominent species around station are the gentoo penguins, whose fluffy grey chicks have formed crèches.
There are many elephant seals here too — recently weaned elephant seal pups are exploring the shallows, some adult male elephant seals are resting amongst the station buildings after their intensive mating season and juveniles have recently returned to the island to moult. Rockhopper penguins, skua and our endemic cormorants are also nesting or rearing chicks around the station.
Andrea Turbett, Ranger In Charge.
