Photo album: "Other hikes"

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Whilst we are waiting for the second ARAKS launch, we proceed with the works in Géophy laboratory and with modifications on the equipments already there before this campaign. Particularly the ionosonde which is 3-kilometre distant from the Géophy laboratory has been modernised and a remote monitoring has been installed. When the works and the weather allow it we spend a few hours for continuing our exploration of the neighbourhoods of Port-aux-Français. A first walk will lead us in direction of mounts of Chateau and another one around Pointe Suzanne where a lot of animals live.

During a walk north of the base, we cross a plain covered with another kind of vegetation typical of Kerguelen: they are tufts of azorella, this plant grows in barren moraine areas, above 100 m altitude.

From the top of a rocky hill we sight the river which flows from mounts of Chateau. Trout and char have been introduce there as well as in some other rivers of Kerguelen. They make anglers happy and also the ones who have the pleasure to taste them.

Another view of river of Chateau, looking to the downstream direction.

Perched on another hill, nearer to the mounts, we perceive the waterfall of river of Chateau.

Another hike leads us around Pointe Suzanne. The vegetation here, typical of wetter areas, is mainly constituted of acaena.

On a beach we see a colony of elephant seals. A harem as it is called here, it is composed of females under the "protection" of a unique male, the Pasha.

A little farther we come upon a few king penguins walking along a hillside.

This is a larger group of king penguins, amongst them there are some young ones which have not finished their mutation yet. Near the group we can see smaller penguins walking, they are gentoo penguins. They do not mix with the king penguins but they do not run away from them either.

Here, near acaena tufts, we find a small group of gentoo penguins.

A seagull flies over us.

We come near a great albatross which is on its nest covering its single egg. Our presence does not frighten it at all but it knows how to warn us, if it thinks we are too close, with a deep and persuasive voice. My friend Patou is taking a few pictures, I will do the same but we will try not to disturb it too a long.

I am using a telephoto lens in order to stay far enough from the bird. Great albatrosses have an average wingspan of 3.10 m (2.5 to 3.5 m, but some of them can reach 3.7 m), their body length varies from 1.10 to 1.35 m and their weight from 6 to 12 kg (8 kg in average). They are really big birds!

Close-up on its head in order to show its beak which seems to be made of different parts glued together, this reminds me somewhat the giant petrels.

Farther, we are watching another great albatross which is trying to take off. It is a rather difficult task on a flat ground without wind. We see it running to gain speed. This process is much easier for the ones which nest in cliffs as in Crozet islands, because to take off they merely dive into the void.

The albatross has gained speed and is opening its wings to get off the earth and be finally able to beat its wings to gain altitude. It will have to make many attempts before succeeding in taking off. However once it is flying, it can remain for days without touching earth, it lets itself to be born by the wind without moving its wings at all. It is a real glider able to cover very long distances.

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