The Retreating Glaciers behind Half a Million Penguins
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The Retreating Glaciers behind Half a Million Penguins

by Wuquan Cui

St. Andrews Bay is a wide exposed bay at the southern end of the Allardyce Range in South Georgia. The fine dark sand beach runs north-south for 3 km. Stretches of short mixed grassland dominated by Poa annua cover the area immediately behind the beach and to the north of the king colony. Nearly half a million king penguins are breeding there. The wide glacial outwash plain behind the beach is ringed to the west by the Cook, Buxton and Heaney Glaciers. Be aware! The glaciers are retreating.