At Sea | Seno Slight | Chilean Fjords , 10/13/2019, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Patagonia
During the night, we left the protection of the fjords to navigate around the Taitao Peninsula, a massive piece of land thinly connected to the continent. Rounding the south end, we found calm waters and were able to land on a sandy beach, with fantastic sunny weather and all the airs of a tropical paradise. Many of us embarked on a long and scenic hike to the Cabo Raper Lighthouse. Others explored the beach, and a few did Zodiac cruises in the fjord.
An ornithologist, photographer, fisherman, climber, and writer, Santiago Imberti was born and raised in southern Patagonia, Argentina. He obtained a degree in tourism and later in ornithology, which allowed him to combine his love for nature and the ...
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We started our day at 6:30 a.m. from Puerto Natales, heading into Torres del Paine National Park under a mostly cloud-covered sky with cool winds blowing from the ice fields. Our first stops were at Sarmiento and Amarga Lakes, both closed alkaline lakes filled with bacterial life and surrounded by mountains covered with fresh snow. The Paine massif remained mostly hidden in the morning, with just hints of the rugged peaks visible through the clouds. We began our mid-morning hike passing by the impressive Paine Grande waterfalls and continuing on a two-hour trek towards Lake Nordenskjöld where strong winds added an extra challenge. As we moved along, the clouds started to thin, giving us glimpses of the Paine Horns emerging slowly as the sky cleared. We ended our excursion with a lunch by the Río Serrano, enjoying views of the massif. On our return to Puerto Natales, the clouds had almost entirely lifted, giving us a clear view of the Paine Horns, a perfect farewell from the mountains.
Arriving at Bernal Glacier guests were greeted by the beauty of an ice-carved landscape. Spectacular in its grandeur and so wonderous to the eye, the heavily crevassed terminal face of the glacier impressed on all who viewed it the majesty of ice forms. A glacier in retreat, yet still an awesome sight despite the rapid ice loss as manifested in the surface and subglacial meltwaters. Following our visit to the Bernal Glacier, our navigation took us to and through the Kirke Narrows, always a complex passage given its narrowness and shallowness. Captain Heidi and the bridge team masterfully took National Geographic Resolution through these waters and onwards to our next port of call, Puerto Natales. It was another magical day in another magical place – a special day to remember in the Patagonia fiords.
Early this morning we arrived at the very end of Fiordo Amaila where we were greeted with the spectacular Skua Glacier rising high into the Andean Mountains. Favorable conditions allowed us to jump into the Zodiacs for a tour around the ice in the bay, with stunning views of the front of the glacier where many of us witnessed multiple calvings. Meanwhile the undersea team travelled a few miles back up the fjord to a little island sheltered from the wind for an exploratory dive. During their dive, they were inspected by some curious Chilean dolphins, footage of which they excitedly presented at evening recap. In the afternoon, we decided to remain in the area to go for a hike up the glacial river valley to get a closer look at a part of the glacier where it had grounded much further away from the coastal shoreline. This was a fun hike, as we made our way up the valley through the many streams and rivers that lay in our path. This afternoon we definitely experienced four seasons in one day, one minute beautiful sunshine and the next gusty squalls racing up the fjord to greet us.
