lunch time for the Giant Petrel

The circle of life is a beautiful thing and at times it can seem a bit harsh and well... aggressive. Especially, when you see the death of one animal that provides life|food & energy to another. For example, penguins are quite adorable, as I have said numerous times before but when they pass away they become food for numerous other species that are predators in the southern ocean.

Yesterday, I was cruising around in a zodiac exploring the coastline of Laurie Island in the South Orkney Island group when I came across a floating penguin, which had recently died. It wasn't long after I spotted it that these large Giant Petrels circled and landed next to the zodiac to feast on the recently deceased Adelie penguin.

Giant Petrels are incredibly prehistoric looking with their tube noses and insanely large size makes them impressive to watch and if you are their food source then they become slightly intimidating. These guys are not only predators but also scavengers, feasting on recently deceased carcasses using their sharp hooked beaks. Its an amazing sight. well, that is if you don't mind some raw carnage...

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