Antarctic Sound, Brown Bluff, Devil Island & Duse Bay, 11/23/2021, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
The astoundingly beautiful conditions encouraged many of us to get out of bed early and head for the open decks to drink deeply from the pristine beauty that surrounded the ship as she approached the Antarctic Sound.
Eduardo Shaw has travelled widely as a naturalist and guide. For the past 34 years he has lived with his family in northwestern Patagonia, working as a teacher and in community projects before returning to expedition ships. Eduardo is deeply committe...
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Our adventure began with high hopes for Royal Bay and Drygalski Fjord in South Georgia. After a peaceful breakfast aboard National Geographic Endurance , we arrived at Royal Bay where we marveled at the towering ice walls from the ship, setting an awe-inspiring tone for the day. Leaving the massive walls of ice surrounding the bay, we navigated through spectacular fjords where pristine glaciers were accompanied by graceful snow petrels gliding against the icy-blue backdrop. Our day culminated in Cooper Bay with exhilarating Zodiac cruises, where we encountered a bustling world of wildlife. Macaroni penguins perched along rocky ledges, fur seals lounged by the water, and we were even graced by a close encounter with a massive leopard seal. The evening wrapped up with insightful recaps and a delicious dinner, a perfect close to an unforgettable day in South Georgia.
The wind was gusting 60 knots between us and New Island when we woke up this morning, even the birds were struggling to find their way. Plans onboard National Geographic Explorer pivoted to presentations from our talented naturalists while we waited for the weather to calm down as forecasted. We were provided with gems of information, including “Introduction to Expedition Photography” and “Baleen Whales of the Southern Ocean”. The weather played to our favor in the afternoon, allowing us to land on the beach to a welcoming cacophony of kelp geese. A short hike took us to sheer cliffs on the other side of the island where thousands of albatross and rockhopper penguins were busy mating. With albatross soaring overhead and rockhoppers hopping up from the shore, it was a wonder how close we could be to this hive of activity, with the birds paying no attention to our presence. Wildlife up close and personal is a memorable experience.
Our morning started at Fortuna Bay where we had the pleasure to visit another king penguin colony. Similar to previous colonies, these king penguins had the great taste in choosing a scenic location with tall mountains, glaciers, and slopes full of tussock grass as their background. It was incredible to be surrounded by so much life and to listen to the sounds of around 10,500 pairs of penguins that call Fortuna Bay their home. Our afternoon was spent near Stromness, an old whaling station. We shared the beach with many Antarctic fur seals and some of our lucky guests even witnessed the birth of a fur seal cub. Others hiked to the waterfall that Shackleton and his men descended to reach civilization after their long journey. The views to the waterfall and back towards the settlement were breathtaking and definitely worth facing South Georgia’s notorious winds.
