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Category Archives: Mammals

Ruapuke Island – 1941 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 9)

8 January 2013 – 11.22am

Te Papa’s curator of terrestrial vertebrates Dr Colin Miskelly is researching the life and work of the Canterbury naturalist Edgar Stead (1881-1949). This includes re-taking Stead’s photos from the same photo-point, taking other images to illustrate his diaries, and describing how the ecology and wildlife of each of 10 islands has changed since Stead’s visits.

Edgar Stead, Robert Wilson and Percy Elworthy visited Ruapuke Island in eastern Foveaux Strait for a day at each end of their stay on nearby Green Island, in Nov-Dec 1941. They didn’t have time to explore much of this privately-owned 1600 ha island, with most time spent in the south-east between Old Ruapuke and Henrietta Bay. They did, however, visit the main podocarp / rata / kamahi forest patch in the hope of finding saddlebacks. I was privileged to be hosted on Ruapuke Island for 4 days at the very end of 2012, and also to visit Green Island.

Lagoon Bay on the west coast of Ruapuke Island. Image: Colin Miskelly

It is unclear what predators were on Ruapuke Island in 1941. Mice and weka were definitely present, and feral cats likely. Stead and his companions found a large colony of white-faced storm petrels in sand dunes along the east coast. This small seabird is highly vulnerable to rat predation, and the presence of a colony then indicates that rats were absent or recent arrivals. Rats are reported to be present now, and we found no sign of the storm petrels

Ruapuke Island from the south-east, with Bluff Hill in the distance. Image: Colin Miskelly

Forest birds were similar in 1941 and 2012, with bellbirds and tui widespread, and tomtits and red-crowned parakeets in the main forest. The brown creepers that Stead recorded appeared to have died out, but we recorded New Zealand pigeon / kereru, a species overlooked or absent in 1941.

The weka on Ruapuke Island are presumed to be Stewart Island stock. They are unusual for Stewart Island weka in having retained both the blackish and red-brown colour morphs. Although we saw more of the brown birds, several mixed pairs were seen, and both birds were black in one pair. The only other weka populations that have the black (or blackish) morph are in Fiordland. We also found both morphs present on nearby Green Island, but with fewer dark birds present.

A pair of weka on Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Dark morph female on left, brown morph male on right. Images: Colin Miskelly

A surprising find in 2012 was that fernbirds were common on Ruapuke Island. Stead did not record fernbirds in 1941, yet they are now present in areas that he visited. It is possible that they have sinced colonised from Bird Island 3 km away, where Stead found them during a brief visit at the end of his trip.

Fernbird carrying insects to its young, Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

Both Ruapuke and Green Islands remain important breeding sites for the rare yellow-eyed penguin. The inaccessibility of the islands to anyone other than landowners is undoubtedly of ongoing benefit to this shy species.

A pair of yellow-eyed penguins on Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Field trips | Tagged fernbird, weka, yellow-eyed penguin | Comments (10)

Green Island (Papatea) – 1941 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 8)

8 January 2013 – 11.19am

Of all the islands that Edgar Stead visited, and for which his diaries exist, Green Island in eastern Foveaux Strait is the least well known. Green Island lies to the east of Ruapuke Island, and should not be confused with the much smaller homonymous Green Island near Dunedin. All the Ruapuke Island group are privately owned, mainly by descendants of the Kai Tahu chief Tuhawaiki. Some of the owners have huts on Green Island and harvest muttonbirds / titi (chicks of the sooty shearwater) each year. We were privileged to be granted access to the island, and were accompanied by two of the island’s owners during our 10 hours ashore.

Green Island from the south-west. Image: Colin Miskelly

It is not clear what motivated Stead to visit Green Island, other than the hope of finding rare birds on a ‘new’ island. He and his companions (Robert Wilson and Percy Elworthy) discovered that the island was free of introduced predators apart from weka, and this remains the case today. Birdlife was and is abundant, but there have been some notable changes over the ensuing 71 years.

Muttonbirding hut in Ruapuke Island, with Ruapuke Island in the background. Upper image taken by Edgar Stead in 1941 (courtesy of Canterbury Museum 2001_59_319); lower image by Colin Miskelly

Muttonbirding hut on Green Island, with Ruapuke Island in the background. Upper image taken by Edgar Stead in 1941 (courtesy of Canterbury Museum 2001_59_319); lower image by Colin Miskelly

Stead and Wilson estimated there to be 1.5 million pairs of fairy prions / titiwainui and broad-billed prions / parara breeding on the island in 1941, but we saw little evidence of them in 2012. They are both still present, but clearly in much reduced numbers. It is not clear why the population has crashed, as the weka population does not appear large enough to have caused such a massive decline. Perhaps the decline has been driven by at-sea conditions, rather than by conditions on the island.

Dark morph weka on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

Another species that has declined or disappeared on the island since 1941 is the southern skua, which should be the top predator on the island. About 10 pairs were present and breeding in 1941, but we saw none and found none of their distinctive middens of seabird remains.

Flowering southern rata and Stewart Island tree-groundsel (Brachyglottis stewartiae) on Green Island, December 2012. Images: Colin Miskelly

The landbirds on the island were much as Stead found them, with the brown creeper the most abundant species, and bellbird, tomtit and robin all being common. We also found tui to be numerous, probably attracted by the spectacular flowering of southern rata.

Brown creeper on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

We recorded over 20 New Zealand pigeons / kereru – a species not recorded by Stead. They are strong flyers and could easily cross the 2 km from Ruapuke Island. More surprising was that we found fernbirds to be common, when Stead specifically noted their absence. In 1941, fernbirds were found only on Bird island 3 km west of Ruapuke Island. Usually considered poor flyers and unlikely to cross water gaps, these furtive birds have apparently colonised both Ruapuke and Green Islands since Stead’s visit.

Fernbird photographed on Ruapuke Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

One feature of the island that has not changed since Stead’s time was the abundance of geckos around the dwellings. We also saw several common skinks, but failed to find the green geckos reported from the island.

Geckos (Woodworthia ‘Otago large’) on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

The only seal species that Stead and his companions noted in 1941 was a single male sea lion. We did not see any sea lions, but there are now several hundred fur seals breeding on the island.

New Zealand fur seal cows and pups on Green Island, December 2012. Image: Colin Miskelly

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Field trips, Reptiles | Tagged brown creeper, edgar stead, fernbird, fur seal, weka | Comments (8)

Hunting henriettas on Ruapuke Island – on the tail of New Zealand’s first mice

8 January 2013 – 11.16am

Few people are aware of Ruapuke Island. Guarding the eastern approaches to Foveaux Strait, the 1600 ha island is large enough to appear as a smudge of colour at the very bottom of TV3’s weather map. Yet the island’s low relief means that passengers on the Stewart Island ferry 20 km to the west barely notice it compared to the imposing bulks of Bluff Hill and Mt Anglem.

Henrietta Bay on the south coast of Ruapuke Island. The cannon is claimed to have come from the Elizabeth Henrietta. Image: Colin Miskelly

Ruapuke Island is privately-owned, mainly by descendants of the Kai Tahu chief Tuhawaiki. Most of the island is rough farmland (sheep and beef cattle), with a large patch of rimu / rata / kamahi / miro / kahikatea forest in the centre. Long sandy beaches separate granite and basalt headlands, with shallow lagoons lying behind several beaches.

Ruapuke was an important site for two of New Zealand’s earliest industries – the harvesting of fur seal skins and flax (harakeke) fibre. But the island has another more furtive claim to historical fame – or infamy. It was the first New Zealand site to be colonised by mice.

The brig Elizabeth Henrietta was engaged in the flax trade when it ran aground in Henrietta Bay on 25 February 1824. It was eventually refloated in August that year, but some time during its enforced stay, mice made it to shore. This was 6 years before the second recorded presence of mice in New Zealand, at the Bay of Islands in 1830. The residents of Ruapuke Island did not know what the strange creatures were, and reportedly referred to them as ‘henriettas’ after the ship they came from.

A mouse caught on Ruapuke Island. Image: Colin Miskelly

I was privileged to be invited to stay on Ruapuke Island at the tail-end of 2012. My hosts knew the significance of the island’s mice, and had been involved in the collection of tissue samples (i.e. mouse tail tips) for a genetic study that has confirmed that Ruapuke’s mice are from a different lineage to the rest of New Zealand’s mice. Yet during 188 years of mouse presence on Ruapuke Island, no specimens had reached Te Papa’s extensive collection of New Zealand rodents. Prepared with a selection of traps and baits, I spent 3 days trying to rectify this. It took some effort, as the mice were scarce (or wary), with two only caught in 27 corrected trap-nights. The main challenge was hiding the traps from inquisitive weka, which took 4 cheese baits, and would have taken any mice if I didn’t beat them to it.

A weka on Ruapuke Island. Image: Colin Miskelly

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Biodiversity, Field trips, History | Tagged mouse, rodents | Comments (1)

Collecting the Spade-toothed whales

8 November 2012 – 1.57pm

The Spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii, is now known from 5 specimens, three of which are housed at Te Papa. With only one of these specimens a complete skeleton, the species is as rare as they come – even among beaked whales – the most elusive of all the world’s whales.

Whales are special taonga, particularly for coastal iwi and this relationship is acknowledged in both the way the Department of Conservation deals with whale strandings and the manner in which specimens are collected by Te Papa. Te Papa does not collect specimens without the agreement of the relevant iwi authority. With regard to the cow and calf pair of Spade-tooth whales reported on in the latest Current Biology article, Te Papa worked with the Department of Conservation and the Whakatohea Iwi Maori Trust Board. Ngai Tama Haua hapu hosted Te Papa staff and members of the iwi gave considerable help and time in the recovery of the specimens from the beach at Opape.

Anton van Helden Te Papa’s Marine Mammal Collection Manager with DOC staff and local iwi uncovering the adult female Spade-tooth whale skeleton. Copyright Te Papa

The value of a collaborative effort in collecting data and specimens goes back a long way with Te Papa (originally the Colonial Museum). From the earliest days of the museum the collection of data and specimens from marine mammals found on New Zealand’s coastline has been very important. Te Papa houses one of the largest and most significant collections of marine mammals in the world. An early collector for the Museum H. H. Travers, after who the species is named, collected a lower jaw with its two prominent tusk teeth from Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands in 1872. In 2002 the teeth of this specimen (the holotype of the species) had three tiny holes drilled into them yielding enough genetic material for the DNA to be analysed. This enabled us to confirm the species as distinct and unique. That the extraction of the DNA happened about 130 years after its collection helps us to see the value in housing these specimens in perpetuity in a museum.

Te Papa continues to collaborate with other research institutions to further the knowledge on the biodiversity of our country and its surrounding oceans. NZCeTA or New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive, is where the DNA from skin collected from stranded dead whales is archived at the University of Auckland. Whilst Te Papa has contributed to this over the years along with the Department of Conservation who deal with the strandings initially. So the tissue archive is supported by Te Papa’s archive of skeletons, preserved tissues, stranding data and images which support each other as a reference for the molecular and morphological comparison that underpins the determination of the species we have in our waters.

The skeletons have been cleaned here at Te Papa and it is the intention that they will join the holotype as part of Te Papa’s beaked whale collection.

It is an important aspect of our work that we involve the iwi in the ongoing relationship with their taonga that remain at Te Papa. In many instances this will involve the whales being given names by their iwi and that their story is archived along with the specimens so that their relationship is maintained in perpetuity.

Recently the Kaumatua from Whakatohea visited Te Papa and came and spent time with their whales. This was a very moving experience for me, but also was a way for the iwi to feel comfortable about where their taonga are resting and that they are being cared for appropriately. We are still working through the agreement around these whales to build a partnership that will grow our knowledge of these whales, the species and bring together the values of the museum and the iwi to enrich the stories that we can all share about these rare and remarkable animals.

Whakatohea Iwi visit Te Papa and their tohorä, copyright Matua Piki Amoamo photographer for Whakatohea Maori Trust Board

By antonvanhelden | Also posted in Biodiversity, Field trips, Māori, Whales | Comments (1)

World’s rarest whale revealed to the world.

6 November 2012 – 12.44pm

Even in this well-informed age it’s surprising how much we still don’t know about the natural world – especially the oceans!

All whales must come to the surface to breathe, despite this the Spade-tooth whale Mesoplodon traversii (Gray, 1874), an animal over 5m in length, has never been see alive, and until 31 December 2010 no one had even seen one with flesh on. Previously known from only two beach worn skulls (one from White Island and one from Robinson Crusoe Island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago off Chile) and the holotype, a lower jaw and two large tusk teeth housed here at Te Papa it really is the world’s rarest whale. You can see the holotype in this article on Tales from Te Papa on beaked whales.

The stranding of a cow and her calf at Opape beach in the Eastern Bay of Plenty is the first record anywhere in the world of an intact specimen. The few photos taken at the time the stranded animals were discovered have revealed the external appearance of the species.

Initially from the telephone description I identified these as the more commonly stranding Gray’s beaked whale. Superficially the species appear remarkably similar only some details in the colouration give us some clue.

The whales were buried and had it not been for the collection by DOC staff of a small sample of skin for DNA extraction at the University of Auckland the discovery may not have happened. MSc student Kirsten Thompson and her supervisor Rochelle Constantine rang me in the early hours of the morning to share the news of their analysis. Thankfully I was lying down!

After resurrecting the species in 2002, based on the skeletal remains, it remained a real dream to see what they actually looked like.

In our paper released today in Current Biology (a Cell Press Publication), the digital painting based on the photos of the adult female has been published for the world to see. [ Current Biology, 6 November, 2012 Volume 22, Issue 21]

Image depicting the head of an adult female spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii, copyright Anton van Helden (illustrator)

In January of this year with the agreement and help of Whakatohea Maori Trust Board and Ngai Tama Haua hapu, Te Papa was able to recover the skeletons of the stranded pair. Sadly the head of the adult female had washed away through beach erosion. But we now have collected the only complete specimen in the world of this rarest of whales. Te Papa is working with Whakatohea to develop an agreement around the management of these remarkable taonga for the benefit of all to learn more about this species and its significance.

By antonvanhelden | Also posted in Biodiversity, Uncategorized, Whales, Whales | Tohorā | Comments (0)

How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the…

2 April 2012 – 3.54pm

A waggley tail is among the many body parts missing from this particular dog. One of the more unusual items acquired by Te Papa recently was this mounted dog’s head, claimed to be a kurī (Māori dog).

LM002857. Mounted dog head, claimed to be a kurī (Māori dog). Photo: Alan Tennyson, Te Papa

Kurī were brought to New Zealand from Polynesia by the ancestors of Māori, and were found throughout the country at the time of early European contact. Kurī were highly valued by Māori as a source of skins, meat for consumption by chiefs and priests, as well as for hunting birds. Kurī bones were used to make tools, and their bones, teeth and fur were used to make necklaces and pendants. However, kurī were rapidly replaced by or crossed with European dogs, a pattern repeated throughout Polynesia. As a result, kurī have long been extinct, and few specimens are known to exist.

Kurī were small, long-haired dogs about the size of a border collie. Like other Polynesian dogs, they were short-legged, with pricked ears, a terrier-like snout, and a powerful jaw. Most were white, or white with dark patches, but some were black.

LM000828. Kurī (Māori dog) on display in Te Papa exhibit ‘Blood, Earth, Fire: Whangai, Whenua, Ahi Ka’. Te Papa image MA_I006390

Te Papa has a mounted kurī on display in the exhibition ‘Blood, Earth, Fire: Whangai, Whenua, Ahi Ka’. This was one of two shot in the Catlins district in 1876. The only other intact mounted kuri known to exist is in Otago Museum.

Little is known about the provenance of the head recently acquired by Te Papa. Is it genuine? Is it a hoax? Is it a case of mistaken identity? We can address these questions now that the specimen is in the Te Papa collection. The Natural Environment team will be investigating further using a variety of genetic and forensic techniques.

LM002857. Mounted dog head, claimed to be a kurī (Māori dog). Photo: Alan Tennyson, Te Papa

By Colin Miskelly | Also posted in Māori | Tagged Blood Earth Fire, dogs, kuri | Comments (1)

Visual trend research from the Picture Library

8 March 2012 – 12.58pm

Part of the job of a Picture Librarian is to do visual trend research. We predict what trends are coming, so we can stay on top of our digitising and identify possible image requests coming our way.

Sugar Glider, Petaurus breviceps, collected no data. Gift of the Wellington City Council, 1929. Te Papa

An example of visual trends would be the current shift in consumer behaviour. We are completely addicted to technology these days…..you name it and there is a gadget or an app for it.

So what do we digitise then? Well Te Papa holds images of the historical gadgets that might seem simply prehistoric to modern users but we digitise these so that people can view the developments in technology over the years. Think about the changes that have occured to the telephone, the camera, the radio. Thirty years ago who would have thought that all three could be rolled into one device that you could hold in the palm of your hand.

Events happening throughout New Zealand also influence visual trends. The recent election, the rugby world cup and the little blue penguins that had to be rescued from the Rena oil spill. These can all make an impact on visual trends and the requirements of image users. The same goes with world events too.

While we can predict alot of visual trends coming our way, there is one trend that I would never in a million years have seen coming…..LOL animals. Don’t deny you haven’t had the odd giggle at Maru the cat, with his 12,983,838 views or the ultimate dog tease, with his 91,867,644. Once these animals hit the internet and go viral there seems to be a huge audience out there who just love animals and love to have a bit of a laugh as well.

With this in mind we went on a hunt through the collection and pulled together a selection of our favorite LOL animals picture that always give us a giggle when we see them….enjoy!

Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus, collected no data. Te Papa

Billy Silly, 1958, New Zealand. Lee-Johnson, Eric. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, collected no data. Gift of the Wellington City Council, 1929. Te Papa

Laughing kitten, 1950s, New Zealand. Lee-Johnson, Eric. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Emperor Penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri, collected 23 Sep 1957, Cape Crozier, Ross Island, Antarctica. Te Papa

By Becky Masters, Picture Library Manager
www.tepapapicturelibrary.co.nz

By Te Papa | Also posted in Collections Online, Photography | Tagged animals, lol, pictures, visual research | Comments (2)

Our far South – Antipodes and Bounty Islands: dots of importance

8 March 2012 – 7.40am

I awoke on the morning of 6 March to discover that we had very rapid progress over night and were approaching the rugged columnular basalt cliffs of the Antipodes Island, crowned with green tussocks. The home to the Antipodean albatross,the Antipodes Island parakeet and the erect-crested penguin (to name just a few of the birds!). It is almost pest free, but sadly mice still live in this barren place.

Bounty Island shag. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

Furseal. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

The only native mammals found on shore here are elephant seals and the New Zealand and Sub-Antarctic furseals. 1804 saw the first sealing gang arrive at the Antipodes. This American gang killed about 60,000 seals over the course of the year they were stationed on the islands. While the location of prime sealing grounds was jealously guarded at the time, the evidence they took home led to a sealing boom on the islands.

After 1807 sealing was occasional and catches small. By the 1830s seals were all but wiped out and sealing in the Antipodes came to an end.

Incredibly sealing in the Southern oceans saw some 7 million furseals (Arctocephalus spp.) were killed for their skins. Essentially by 1830 all populations of furseals were so depleted to make fursealing unecomonic.

Bounty Island shag. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

Populations of furseals have bounced back, but interestingly it seems that the Bounty Islands may be the main breeding area with the Antipodes islands being primarily a haul-out area.

The erect-crested penguins endemic to the islands, and like many penguin species, they are showing signs of decline.

Once again after a night of travel we found ourselves in the early hours of the morning at our next location, the jagged and totally inhospitable looking Bounty islands.

Bounty Islands.

These are projections of rock sticking out of the sea, yet home to numerous furseals, Salvin’s albatross and their very own shag.

Sadly we could not go ashore on Spider island in the group to look for the species of Spider that Phil Sirvid would have liked me to collect.

Sadly our trip now is coming to an end and this will be my last blog post from the boat. It will be weird to be on land again in just a couple of days.

Salvin’s albatross. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

By antonvanhelden | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Field trips, Penguins | Tagged Antarctica, Antipodes Island, Birds, conservation, Our Far South, rodents, Seals | Comments (1)

Our Far South: Campbell Island – the return

6 March 2012 – 7.33am

Our first sight of land since Antarctica in the dim small hours of the 3rd of March was Campbell Island.

Campbell island. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

Campbell Island is home to more species of albatross than anywhere else in the New Zealand region with 6 species breeding here. The most conspicuous of these being the Southern Royal albatross that soar over head. These massive birds with a wingspang over 3.5m stand out with their briliant white plumage against the sombre tones of the landscape and the darkened sky. We spent most of an afternoon and evening up the col Lyall board walk which winds up past Beeman hill and on up to the Western Cliffs.

Albatross ‘gamming’. Photo Victor Anderlini.

Later in the day a large number of royal albatross were congregating in small groups, a behaviour known as gamming. with displays of head shaking and wing flapping, squawking and other unusual vocal, clacking and popping sounds produced with their enormous beaks.

Royal albatross and chick. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te papa.

The experience of having an albatross soar low and fast right above your head is a very memorable thing, the swoosh of their wings like fighter jets. We were lucky to see some nesting birds with small chicks. This is my second time on Campbell Island, the first time was 1995 where I was stranded along with a couple of other scientists after the boat we were sailing in got caught in a storm.

royal albatross. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

That was the last year that there was a manned weather station on the island. the buildings are still here and much as I remembered them, however since then the final introduced predator, the rats, have been removed.

Royal albatross. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te papa.

This rugged, boggy island had been used for farming and the last of the sheep had been removed in 1990/91. The amount of regrowth of the tussocks, mega herbs and dracophyllum shrubs is astounding. The old coast watchers hut that had been used in the 1940′s (that in 1995 still had a partial roof),

Ruins of the coastwatchers hut.

was pretty much ruins, with just a few frames of walls remaining. The sealions, that last time I was here were mostly in Northwest Bay, were now using the coves and inlets of Perseverence harbour much more. There has been a small growth of numbers on the island, in contrast to the diminishing numbers on the Auckland islands.

Elephant seal. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

The Elephant seals have been declining in numbers, as have the Rock hopper penguins. This may be a real indicator of global warming, as it is possible that they are having to dive deeper or travel further to hunt their prey, decreasing the success rate of pups and chicks.

Campbell Island, Northwest Cliffs.

We are now heading for the Antipodes islands, which was not part of the original plan. Because the sea ice forced our early retreat from Antarctica and the remarkably smooth seas we have had on our northward journey we have a little extra time. Entering this very productive area just off the continental shelf has already afforded us glimses of a mixed pod of long finned pilot whales and Bottlenose dolphins. the Antipodes islands are pest free apart from mice, people onboard are working to raise money for DOC to embark on a project to eradicate them, and expensive business. About $1,000,000 will be required, but the achievement of which will no doubt be a huge boon for the abundant birdlife on the island.

By antonvanhelden | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Field trips, Whales | Tagged albatross, Antarctica, Our Far South, Seals | Comments (0)

Our far South: all at sea

1 March 2012 – 9.48am

In the early hours of the 25th, we were awoken and called to the bridge to see the biggest wall of ice that I will probably ever see.

The Ross Ice Shelf, and enormous slab faced Ice sheet stretching over 700km from Cape Crozier to the Bay of Whales. The height of the visible face of the Ice sheet is about 40m high, being that bit of it that sticks out of the water.

Ross Iceshelf.

This sheet ice loses chunks at the face that float off, these are called calves, and every so often huge pieces break off forming tabular icebergs which can be kilometres in length.

Tabular iceberg. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa

From there we turned to head West towards Terra Nova Bay on the Antarctic continent. Well that was the plan, we got to within about a kilometre when we were forced to abandon the attempt due to Ice build up.

This was the theme then for the next couple of days. We would head east to get out of the ice and then attempt to get to the continent, next stop Cape Hallet, then Cape Adare, all attempts to land proved impossible.

A final ditch effort for another shore landing came on the 27th at the Islands of Possession and Foyn (named for the gentleman that invented the exploding harpoon!).

Foyn Island. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

Once again we were foiled with the only access point left on the island being a very slippery iced up beach of large boulders. Possession Island was where Sir James Clarke Ross planted the flag for Queen Victoria and the British Empire.

Breaking through sea-ice

The weather was relatively calm and so a polar plunge was organised for those who had the need to prove something. Which I will admit was fairly entertaining.

When we left from there it was really our farewell to Antarctica as we started to head north and out of the Ross Sea. Not the end for Antarctic animals though, with further sightings of Minke whales and Emperor penguins.

Emperor penguin. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

Out in the forming sea ice, on some of the larger floes tracks of Emperor penguins were often seen, with the occasional Crabeater seal now also making an appearance.

Emperor penguin & tracks on sea ice. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

Crabeater seals Lobodon carcinophaga, do not actually eat crabs, they do however eat krill. The genus name lobodon, means lobed teeth as they have multicusped teeth in the upper and lower jaw that come together to strain krill from the water. Krill are small shrimp-like crustaceans and form an imporatnat part of the Antarctic food-chain. In the Southern Ocean, one species, Euphausia superba, makes up an estimated biomass of over 500,000,000 tonnes - over half of this is eaten by whales, seals, penguins, squid and fish each year!

Crabeater seals are also regarded as the most abundant large mammal on the planet after humans, with a population at last census was about 15,000,000. However it should be clear that it has been a while since anyone counted.

Crabeater seal. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te papa.

True Antarctic seals (principally crabeater seals) were also killed in small numbers to be used as dog food at scientific stations until the early 1980s. The possible threat of renewed exploitation of Antarctic seals, especially by Norway after they mounted a pilot sealing expedition in 1964 persuaded the Antarctic Treaty Parties that specific protection was needed for them. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seal (CCAS) was agreed in 1972 and came into force six years later. In its Annex, the Convention specifies that up to 175 000 Crabeater seals, 12 000 leopard seals and 5000 Weddell seals can be taken. The Soviet Union took some 4000 seals (mostly Crabeater seals) with two vessels during a hunting expedition from December 1986 to February 1987 in the eastern D’Urville Sea and around the Balleny Islands. No further catches have been reported.

Leaving the Ross sea: Franklin Island in the distance. Photo Anton van Helden, copyright Te Papa.

By antonvanhelden | Also posted in Biodiversity, Birds, Field trips, Penguins | Tagged Antarctica, ice, Our Far South, Penguins, Seals | Comments (0)

Te Papa's Blog

Category Archives: Mammals

Ruapuke Island – 1941 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 9)

Green Island (Papatea) – 1941 and 2012 – In the footsteps of Edgar Stead (Part 8)

Hunting henriettas on Ruapuke Island – on the tail of New Zealand’s first mice

Collecting the Spade-toothed whales

World’s rarest whale revealed to the world.

How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the…

Visual trend research from the Picture Library

Our far South – Antipodes and Bounty Islands: dots of importance

Our Far South: Campbell Island – the return

Our far South: all at sea

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