Today we found ourselves visiting what is undoubtedly the highlight of this expedition. Macquarie Island, a sliver of land halfway between Australia and Antarctica, is home to an abundance of wildlife with lots of elephant seals, skuas, and giant petrels, including the white morph. The island is also home to king, gentoo, and rockhopper penguins. Macca, as our Australian shipmates refer to it, resembles South Georgia at first. Macca has an added bonus, the endemic royal penguin. These penguins are characterized by a large, orange-colored bill, a white face, and a yellow and orange crest over a black head. Visiting Macquarie isn’t easy. Strong westerly winds can make landings quite challenging, but we lucked out in the weather department. We were able to make two landings and take a Zodiac ride with sunshine and blue skies.