GOULD BAY CAMP 77°56’20.9”S 45°07’16.1”W
NICKI POLLACK
“If Antarctica were music, it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame it.” —Andrew Denton
tundra was born into a world of extremes amidst the icy cold of Antarctica, but before Tundra was ever hatched, her mother, Luna, left the day she laid the egg. Luna was hunting and gathering food before returning to the colonies while Tundra’s father, Orion, stood watch over the egg. When temperatures drop below –40 degrees Celsius, the male emperor penguins huddle together, rotating from inside to outside and then back inside, vying for the interior warmth. During this dance, Orion balanced the egg that would become Tundra on his feet, covering it with his brood pouch to keep it safe from the bitter cold. Emperor penguins primarily feed on fish, squid, and krill and are known for their long-distance migrations, traveling unimaginable distances between their breeding and feeding grounds. It’s been about two months since Luna left, and she’ll return any day to switch places with Orion. He’s endured the cold and protected Tundra daily, but he’s becoming weaker as he hasn’t eaten for months. His job was to care for Tundra and stand against the icy elements without food. Once born, Tundra has to develop her feather coat and fat layers to be able to survive the cold on her own; until then, her parents take turns feeding and protecting her. The day finally arrives when Tundra, now equipped with a downy coat, stands alone in the vast penguin colony. Luna and Orion, with a glance back at their chick, waddle away to go hunt, this time together. It’s time to leave Tundra alone so she can learn to fight for herself. Tundra feels the solitude in the icy air, surrounded by other chicks who, like her, have to wait for the return of their parents. The chicks huddle together as the Antarctic winds dance around them with painful force and icy rain. All they can do is create a collective warmth against the bone-chilling gusts. Tundra finds companionship among the others, their synchronized movements forming a living fortress against the elements. Each chick takes turns braving the outer circle, shielding the others from the icy wrath of the Southern Gods. When ice builds on their little wings and the snow starts to cover them up, it’s time to change position and for the icy chicks to move inward so they can warm up again. Emperor penguins use various vocalizations, such as trumpeting calls, to commu- nicate with each other. These calls are crucial in locating mates and chicks within the noisy colony. They always find each other. Tundra knew that when her parents returned, she would hear them and their call carried by the wind from afar.
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MOTHER VOLUME THREE
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