PORTFOLIO Penguins, petrels, seals and snow… Explore Marion Island through the lenses of two marine biologists.

any people think that Cape Agulhas is the southernmost part of South Africa. Technically, however, there are a pair of islands halfway to Antarctica that are South African territories, little more than pinpricks in the vast, frigid Southern Ocean. The volcanic Prince Edward Islands, and the ocean surrounding them, are home to several hundred thousand marine predators including penguins, albatrosses, petrels, seals and orcas. There are no permanent human residents on the islands, but people do visit: The Department of Environmental Affairs operates a scientific station on Marion, the bigger of the two islands. You won’t easily forget Marion’s snow-covered peaks, boggy lowlands and splendid wildlife, and researchers are invariably inspired to return. Marine predator biologists Chris Oosthuizen and Ryan Reisinger have each spent more than two years living and working on the island. “Marion is an inspiring place to visit,” says Chris. “But fieldwork there poses some challenges: In order to succeed, you need a real thirst for adventure and a desire to produce research of international importance.”