You can well imagine how surprising it is to see birds flying around the barren mountains of the Antarctic. The area is 250 km (155 miles) from sea and offers nothing in terms of food to these avians. Experts at the Norwegian Polar Institute suggest that the nesting snow petrels and Antarctic petrels fly all the way to the sea every time they are hungry. The shrimp-like krill dominates their eating habits. Other birds like skua prey on petrel and chicks during the summer and also fly to the sea in want of krill.

Researchers suggest one shouldn’t get too close to snow petrels as they are skilled at throwing up fowl-smelling pinkish goo of rotten krill. It takes weeks to clean off the poo. Interestingly, trawlers give more competition as the krill can be used as fish feed and as a health supplement for human beings due its richness in Omega-3 fatty acids.
Experts are of the opinion that Antarctica is abundant with krill and the handful 120,000 tonnes caught by humans are a pinprick. However, environmentalists feels that man should exploit the staple food for penguin, seals, whales and snow petrels. Don’t kill them!

Via Reuters