The last batch of the summer expedition team was scheduled for departure on 11th April 2018. 2 days before the journey, on 9th April, something interesting happened. Some of us, watching the sea and icebergs from the station, found something unusual. We saw something that looked like a line of ants on the Sea. And to our surprise, the line was moving. We knew who it could possibly be. But we needed a closer look. We had no binoculars. The closest we had was a camera with 35x optical zoom. We looked through the camera and concluded that we guessed right. It was the natives, the penguins. But which one? Adelie or Emporer? Some of us said Adelie penguins while others (including me) said they Emporer penguins.

What is Adelie penguin and Emporer penguin?

They are 2 of the various species of penguins sighted in the Larsemann Hills. But whatever the species, penguins are just WOW!

Adelie is the most widely spread penguin species and is common along the entire coast of Antarctica. "They are extraordinarily like children, these little people of the Antarctic world, either like children or like old men, full of their own importance", said Cherry-Garrard in his book 'The Worst Journey in the World.' And they are a delight that comes with a packet of happiness. These penguins are mid-sized, being 46 to 71 cm (18 to 28 in) in height.

Emporer penguins, on the other hand, are the largest of all the living species penguins reaching a height of 122cm (48in). It is the only species that breeds during the harsh winters of Antarctica. The breeding nature of penguins is sensitive. And to breed in winters is a great challenge for emporers. Here is an intresting clip from BBC Planet documentary series. The penguins march for 50-120 km on ice to breeding colonies where gatherings are up to several thousands of emporers. Cherry-Garrard, the Antarctic explorer, wrote in 1922: "Take it, all in all, I do not believe anybody on Earth has a worse time than an emperor penguin"

After all, they aint just cute! They are much more than that.

That doesn't solve the confusion though, does it? Which ones do you think were on the sea?

It was the mighty Emporers. A group of 28-32 Emporer penguins waddling and tobogganing on their way to the rookery. I think they lost their way amidst the islands. That's when they caught our attention. We went to the edge of the island to get a better glimpse, but they were still very far for the naked eye. We still relied on the cameras. To me, Emporer penguins, being tall and heavy, looked like lazy adults when they walked.

We made our own story of what we saw next. It goes like, They stopped when they realized they were on the wrong route. They seemed confused for a while. A few elites gathered to discuss the situation. The others stood talking to their pals. Oh, wait! there are some more lazy penguins slowly approaching. And few member penguins went up to the elites to inquire what to do next. After some discussions and negotiations, they took a U-turn back. And we took a U-turn back to the station.

In the next 2 days, operations were completed. It was time for the ship to depart from Bharati. We bid our goodbyes to the last of friends leaving by voyage. We stood at the same place, from where we spotted the penguins. Only this time, we were watching the ship sail away in the waters of the Antarctic ocean. And the summer was leaving with it. The reality started to sink in, that we are all left alone together in this vast continent that would be cut off from the rest of the world for the Antarctic winter. Nothing would get us to the mainland, at least for the coming 7 months. And as this feeling grew upon us, we sat together talking and making fun out of our remoteness. And I realized that these are the people that would be my expedition team no matter what comes. These are the only people I will get to see, talk and explore the landscape around us with. These are the ones I would call my winter expedition team when I return to the mainland.

We knew by now, that the isolation in winter would take its toll on us in different ways. And we sought to keep the excitement. We kept ourselves busy with music, playing TT and other board games, watching movies post-dinner, preparing interesting dishes, making experiments, venturing out, accompanying friends on their outing for work..., etc.

Even then, the continent had something in return for keeping us in dark.

It was already 11th of April, 2018, when the ship left. And nights were, by then, longer than days. and auroras had already become part of our night wonders. We watched them in awe every time. Sometimes they were just there in the sky and slowly faded. Sometimes they danced musically. Sometimes they lit up the entire landscape in a green hue. And sometimes they brought in more colors with them. Many times, I remember people abandoning the movie as soon as the news of aurora came in. We also celebrated a few birthdays and anniversaries and some of them ended up with an aurora wishing from above. Living in a station with a vastly white and brown landscape, other colors in the nature were refreshing.

With every passing day, the duration of the day kept reducing. We were getting closer to polar nights. And polar nights pose challenges for work outside the station. Hence it was necessary to plan and finish some work before we glide into days of endless darkness. And that included a few shramdaans. Sunlight slowly became precious for us. And it made me realize that we fail to appreciate and take for granted, the simple things in life. Maybe just because we didn't have to struggle for it. On the 27th of May, it was time for the sun to take leave, it was the day of the last sunrise. Ahh!! The importance he had that day! We gathered to catch a glimpse at the sun before his vacation. That day, the sun had risen and set almost towards the North. The sunlight was coming from near horizon, just above the sea. It barged into the corridors and painted them with a golden hue. And within a few minutes, the sun had set.

That's it. The polar nights are here!