Explore Adelie Penguins with Gigapan!

1/25/2012

Explore Adelie Penguins with Gigapan!

In early January I took this photo.

Take a virtual tour of the Adelie penguin colony located on Torgeson Island, Antarctica using Gigapan technology. These Adelie penguins return to this exact breeding location each Antarctic summer. Here they use small pebbles and rocks to build nests for their eggs. I took the image below to show young Adelie chicks being raised by their parents. When we arrived, some eggs had not yet hatched. However, within three weeks other chicks were nearly the size of the adults and had begun to molt into adult plumage.

How to Explore the Gigapan Image

Step #1: Go Full Screen
Notice that your pointer changes to a hand as you move it across the Gigapan image below. Click the "fullscreen" icon shown here.

Step #2: Navigate the Image
Use the dial to navigate the image. The arrows help you to move up, down, left and right. The + and - buttons help you to zoom in and out.

Step #3: Take a Virtual Tour!
Double click the hand on an area that you would like to explore. Once it focuses, you can double click again to get a closer look at it. Use the dial
to continue to navigate the image.

Gigapan Scavenger Hunt #2
Locate the following items within the Gigapan image above. When you find all 6 challenges, leave me a message on the blog. I'll add your name to the Gigapan Wall of Fame!

Challenge #1
Penguin with Rock in Mouth

Challenge #2
Orange Lichen on Rock

Challenge #3
Penguin Grooming

Challenge #4
Basalt Rocks

Challenge #5
Penguin Chick

Challenge #6
Penguin on Belly

51 Comments

Lorna Fleming link

1/25/2012 02:17:47 am

Found 'em! I love Gigapan :)

Nature Nat

1/26/2012 07:53:32 pm

Hello Lorna!

Thanks for following along. I'm glad that you're enjoying the gigapan images. Can't wait to share all my pictures with you when I return.

Rebeka Butterfield 3rd grade

1/25/2012 02:38:00 am

How many penguins have you seen and what kind of penguins?

Miss Harr (a.k.a. Nature Nat)

1/26/2012 07:56:20 pm

Hi Rebeka,

Adelie penguins seem to be most common here. Since I was able to visit their colony on Torgesen Island, I've seen hundreds of them. I also have seen Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins on the shoreline. All penguins can swim really fast!

Rachel

1/25/2012 03:39:37 am

Hi Miss.Harr,I hope you have a great rest of the trip in Antarctica! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!

Sincerley,Rachel

Miss Harr (a.k.a Nature Nat)

1/26/2012 07:57:51 pm

Hi Rachel! It's been a wonderful trip. I'll be leaving here soon. I miss everyone back home too. Thanks for following the website!

brian

1/25/2012 05:47:56 am

I'm sure your seeing some breathe taking sights, your pictures are real cool. Take it all in... see ya soon Brian

Nature Nat

1/26/2012 07:59:52 pm

Hi Brian!

The scenery here is gorgeous, especially on a sunny day. It seems dreamlike to be here. We'll be leaving soon. Take care!

Jessica Glasgow

1/25/2012 07:13:25 am

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!! I had a great time learning about everything down with you through skype the other day! I really love the pictures of all the seals. They're all soooo cute! All of your pictures and videos are so amazing. I'm learning a lot from your blog. I also noticed that you said you took the Polar Plunge twice! That's insane! Quite a birthday you had. Well I'm glad to hear you're having a good time and the team is completeing all its research. I can't wait until you come back and tell us everything that's happening down there! Also really looking forward to teaching your class again. I miss them! The only downside having you come back is that there will be no more pictures:( HAHA! Good Luck with the rest of the trip, be safe, and have FUN!!!
See You Soon!
Jessica

Nature Nat

1/26/2012 08:03:15 pm

Hi Jessica!

Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was so fun skyping with you and your school. Tell Mrs. Soos to send me some photos from the event to add under "Miss Harr's Birthday." I hope to come to your school's International Foreign Language Fair in March. It would be great to have all 7 continents represented there! Thanks for all your positive feedback.

Kim Ginther

1/25/2012 08:12:14 am

Nat,
I just located all 6! Cool pics! I am envious. I have a fairly decent penguin collection. What an amazing opportunity for you and the students of Crestwood. Hope you are having a wonderful experience!
Kim

Nature Nat

1/26/2012 08:04:52 pm

Way to go Kim! Thanks for completing the challenge. Can't wait to catch up on our next WWW weekend. Take care!!!

Mrs. Franks link

1/26/2012 04:34:45 am

Mrs. Franks' 4th grade class at Crestwood Intermediate School spent some time on your blog. A few of the students found them all, and some are excited to go home and look more!

Mrs. Franks link

1/26/2012 04:36:38 am

Ryan in our class wants to know how penguins got to Antarctica.

Kelsey Mcdonald

1/26/2012 10:18:47 am

This is so neat I never knew penguins use rocks and stuff to make their nest . Also I am in Mrs.Ginther's science class and I like all the pictures you have took . Good luck in your journey

Sincerly,
Kelsey McDonald

Nature Nat

1/29/2012 04:56:27 am

Hi Kelsey,

Yes, it surprised me too that the Adelie penguins use pebbles to build their nests. Even more surprising, the Adelie penguins return to the same exact nesting ground each year. They are incredible animals and I feel very fortunate to see them in their natural habitat. Tell Mrs. Ginther that I said hello!

Justin Bushatz

1/26/2012 11:09:09 am

I found all of the six items in the scavenger hunt!

Nature Nat

1/29/2012 05:20:54 am

Congratulations Justin! You have been added to the Gigapan Wall of Fame.

Jason

1/26/2012 11:06:11 pm

Hello Miss Harr,
I think the work that you are doing is awesome and is great for getting kids interested in science. My brother, Matt Erickson, is actually on the same boat as you doing research for Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, MA. If you run into him on the trip back to Chile, please say hello from me.

Thanks,
Jason

Nature Nat

1/29/2012 05:11:53 am

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the positive feedback. The LMG should be arriving here by mid week. I will tell Matt you said hello and I'll pick his brain on the way back about his research:) It's great to have you following along!

clay link

1/27/2012 01:08:48 am

I hound all the items!

Nature Nat

1/29/2012 05:19:58 am

Congratulations Clay! You have been added to the Gigapan Wall of Fame.

brady link

1/27/2012 01:10:19 am

i have found all the things on callenge # 1

Nature Nat

1/29/2012 05:22:09 am

Congratulations Brady! You have been added to the Gigapan Wall of Fame.

Gilles Gang

1/28/2012 01:49:01 am

This is so awesome Natalie! My husband and I just completed challenge #2. We couldn't wait for the kids!

Miss Harr (a.k.a Nature Nat)

1/29/2012 05:24:04 am

I have one more yet to post this week. It's a beautiful panoramic taken from one of the islands. It shows off the gorgeous mountain scenery. It'll be up soon! Thanks for completing the challenges!

Kendall Fields (Mrs.Springs 5 grade)

1/30/2012 07:50:44 am

cool!

Olivia Sayre

1/28/2012 04:12:58 am

I am Olivia Sayre in Mrs. Picone's 1st grade class. I found all the items!

madison robertson

1/29/2012 12:38:09 am

Good

Miss Harr (a.k.a Nature Nat)

1/29/2012 05:25:22 am

Congratulations Olivia! I added your name to the Gigapan Wall of Fame.

Lauren Barnes

1/28/2012 10:43:47 pm

Hi Miss Harr. Thank you for teaching us about Chinstrap Penguins. I am doing my Animals of Antarctica Research Project on them. Love Lauren

Nature Nat

2/1/2012 03:23:05 am

That's great Lauren! The chinstrap is my favorite penguin. It was the first kind I saw when I arrived. Keep up the great work!!!

Ethan Connair

1/28/2012 10:58:22 pm

I went on and did the scavenger hunts with my mom. It was fun! I showed mom you and your friends...looks cold and fun.

Nature Nat

2/1/2012 03:56:12 am

Hi Ethan,

Congratulations on completing the Gigapan challenge with your mom. I added your name to the Gigapan wall of fame! A job well done!

madison robertson

1/29/2012 12:36:46 am

I love you and miss you miss harr madison
Miss you
Vary much
Miss harr
I love you miss harr
Miss you

Miss Harr (a.k.a. Nature Nat)

2/1/2012 03:54:33 am

Hi Madison,

You're too sweet! Thanks for all your kind words. I miss you all too!

noah cochenour

1/29/2012 04:17:00 am

hello,my name is noah i go to mrs.ginthers class and she has told us a lot about your website it so cool i relly enjoy it anyway i hav completed the 6 pictrue giapan challenge

Nature Nat

2/1/2012 03:24:59 am

Hello Noah!

Congratulations on completing the gigapan challenge! Your name has been added to the wall of fame. Tell Mrs. Ginther I said hello. Thanks for your kind message.

Bryan Summer

1/29/2012 07:05:19 am

Awesome photos of the penguins! My students will really enjoy seeing this gigapan tomorrow. They seem to have a fascination with penguins. I put the 6 photos into a chart so students could check off their finds on one of our classroom computers.

Nature Nat

2/1/2012 03:53:17 am

Hi Bryan,

Thanks for following along! Glad to hear your students are using the gigapan images to learn about Antarctica. I got to go out with the bird researchers this week and learn how they study the penguins here. It was just fascinating!

Mr. Light

1/29/2012 10:10:10 pm

Ms. Harr, This is so cool! Even the (BIG) kids enjoy looking at your pictures and hearing all about Antarctica. For some of the kids that had you as a teacher I am sure it really means a lot. My class nearly blew their top when we were watching Newsdepth and your story came on! Keep up the good work and enjoy your boat trip on that smooth water!! ~Mr. Light

Miss Harr (a.k.a. Nature Nat)

2/1/2012 03:49:48 am

Hello Mr. Light,

I'm glad you and your students like the website. That's great you caught the Newsdepth story. I was just arriving at Palmer when it aired. FYI-I'm not in the picture they show. I am 1,744 miles from the south pole station! They made a mistake. Please tell all the kids I said hello and that I'm so proud of all their Antarctic learning!

Kendall Fields (Mrs.Springs class)

1/30/2012 07:49:01 am

I finished the Gigapan scavenger hunt #2. :)

Nature Nat

2/1/2012 03:28:12 am

Hi Kendall,

Thanks for completing the gigapan challenge. I added your name to the wall of fame. Tell Mrs. Spring that I said hello. Thanks for following along!

Thomas Fusci (Mrs. Stamm's class)

1/31/2012 06:54:03 am

My mom and I love the views. We found most of the items. Thank you for sharing and be safe.

Miss Harr (a.k.a Nature Nat)

2/1/2012 03:26:40 am

Hi Thomas,

Congratulations on completing the gigapan challenge. I added your name to wall of fame. Keep up the great Nature Detective work!

Ashley Patton

10/19/2014 01:24:11 pm

I completed the scavenger hunt! :)

Nicole Roach

10/20/2014 03:05:57 am

This was such a fun exercise to complete! Thank you! I can't wait to use something like this in my future classroom!

Nicole Wright

10/21/2014 08:38:15 am

What a fun activity. I think students would love trying to focus in and out of the image. It would be interesting for the students to pick out the different types of penguins and identify them and the region they come from.

Nathan Hite

10/21/2014 10:34:26 am

I really enjoyed this scavenger hunt. I found it tough but fun. I feel that students, especially younger ones, will enjoy a challenge such as this. Thank you for the experience and future ideas.

Arielle Becker

10/21/2014 12:38:50 pm

This was a fun way to use the GigaPan. I have always loved scavenger hunts like this. I struggled to find some of the pictures, but was able to find them. I think this would be a great idea to use with my future students. I defiantly think they will be just as engaged as I was.

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