14/10/2026
Due to popular demand David Dennis returned for our October meeting, and gave an informed and entertaining talk
"Antarctica – history, landscape and wildlife"
He is a supporter of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), which investigate and campaign against environmental crime and abuse.
600 million years ago Antarctica sat near the equator rather than at the South Pole, it was a lush rainforest and part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.
David led us into the heroic age of discovery. His description of exploration was very interesting…
From Captain James Cook (1773) being the first recorded European navigator to cross the Antarctic Circle.
Onto Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, a Russian naval officer (1819) was the first person to officially sight the Antarctic mainland.
A year later, 1820, and James Clark Ross, a British Royal Navy officer and polar explorer, first noticed and documented active volcanoes in Antarctica proving the area as a new continent.
In 1910 separate expeditions to become the first person to reach the South Pole began, triggering a legendary polar rivalry... (Norwegian) Roald Amundsen claiming victory a year later, just weeks before (British) Robert Falcon Scott's tragic death.
Ernest Shackleton's advertisement ahead of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) received hundreds of replies! ... "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success".
Despite their ship Endurance becoming trapped in pack ice and sinking, all 27 official crew members along with one stowaway, Percy Blackborow, survived.
Drawing on his own visits, David shared the breathtaking beauty of Antarctica, its spectacular sunrises, and icy landscapes.
He described the breathtakingly spectacle of the Peninsula and seas, home for incredible wildlife.
There are eight species of penguins habiting Antarctica… Emperor Penguin, Adelie Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin, Gentoo Penguin, King Penguin, Macaroni Penguin, Magellanic Penguin, and Rockhopper Penguin. Most can be spotted on today’s expedition cruises.
The largest animal ever to live, the Blue Whale lives and visits in the Antarctic, along with others including the Humpbacks, and Arctic Minke whales.
Seals are abundant in the area…The crab-eater seal is the second most populous large mammal on Earth, directly behind humans.
An apex aggressive predator of the region is the Leopard seals, penguins are always on their menu!
The Wandering Albatross is an iconic seabird of the Southern Oceans. They mate for life and follow a biennial breeding cycle, laying a single egg during the Antarctic summer. They remain off-land for the first 6 years of life.
The Antarctic Tern is another bird, along with gulls who are happily living in the icy Antarctic regions.
David also highlighted the environmental impact of climate change and the increasing changes affecting the Polar Regions.
He wrote a poem from the perspective of a penguin (attached to the end of the photos) it's a lovely read!
We ended the evening with a Q&A, the opportunity to purchase greetings cards in support of the EIA, our monthly raffle, and tea/coffee and scrummy homemade cakes.
Find out more about the EIA:
https://eia-international.org/
https://www.facebook.com/environmentalinvestigationagency
https://www.instagram.com/eia_news
