Emperor Penguins from Antartica (T.A.A.F.)

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The Emperor Penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The Emperor Penguin breeds in the coldest environment of any bird species; air temperatures may reach −40 °C. The penguins are well designed to withstand these harsh conditions. They have the highest feather density of any bird, about a hundred feathers per square inch.

The Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (T.A.A.F.) is an overseas territory of France.  

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Lyallia Cushion (Lyallia kerguelensis) is a perennial herb that is endemic to the subantarctic Kerguelen Islands, part of T.A.A.F. 

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Sunset over Île de la Possesion, Crozet Islands

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The Crozet Islands are a sub-antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean. They form one of the five administrative districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF).

Île de la Possession, or Possession Island, is one of the Crozet Islands. With an area of 150 km2 it is the largest island of the group and the only inhabited one. Administratively, it is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

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Île de la Possession is an important nesting site for seabirds. The Eaton's Pintail is a species of dabbling duck, restricted to the island groups of Kerguelen and Crozet. 

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Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF)

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The Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (T.A.A.F.) is an overseas territory of France.

It consists of Kerguelen (a group of volcanic islands), St. Paul and Amsterdam islands (located north of Kerguelen), Crozet Islands (located south of Madagascar), Adélie Land (the French claim on the Antarctica continent) and the Scattered Islands (located around the coast of Madagascar).

The Marion Dufresne is a multipurpose vessel. It serves as a supply and logistic vessel for the French sub-Antarctic islands and as an oceanographic research platform on the world’s oceans.

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Issued in 2011: The 90th anniversary of the Birth of Pierre Bignon, 1921-1990.

The stamp cancellation reads ‘Alfred Faure Crozet’. The Crozet Islands are uninhabited, except for the research station Alfred Faure.

It took almost 7 months for this card to reach its destination. Well Crozet Island is a looong way but…there’s another reason. Our local mailman decided not to deliver all of the mail, but save some in his garage. He was caught recently and some days ago I received 60 postcards in my mailbox. My missing postcards since 2011! 

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