We are headed to the Falkland Islands!
This morning, our luck with the weather held and we had smooth sailing. Albatrosses frequented our wake and we had many hours of bliss trying to capture the flying birds in focus. Black-browed albatrosses, wandering albatrosses, light-mantled albatrosses, white-chinned petrels and multitudes of prions soared near then far around the National Geographic Orion.
Justin and Erin, our undersea specialists, gave a talk and demonstration on the use of cold-water diving gear. I think many folks were particularly intrigued by the electric underwear that these brave folks plug in when they surface. The freezing water combined with a 45-minute dive tests the limits of any dive gear and diver. We are so very fortunate to have such skilled specialists with us.
About mid-day we passed Shag Rocks. Named for the numerous South Georgia cormorants, or shags, nesting there, the rocks seemed out of place in the wide expanse of ocean.
Not long afterward an announcement from the bridge got us excited. A 7-mile-long and 110-foot-high iceberg was spotted on the electronic equipment on the bridge. Into the misty sky we searched. Along the horizon a brightening appeared and, sure enough, it was the gigantic iceberg. The top of the berg remained diffuse with mist but the length was quite clear against the deep blue sea.
The next lecture was by Rich Kirchner, who shared stories of having lived 22 months, over-wintering, at McMurdo Station in the Ross Sea. His work as a field carpenter sent him to remote areas of the Antarctic, some untouched by humans before him.
Photo break-out sessions followed lunch with Ralph Lee Hopkins and the photo team. What do you do with all of those newly acquired photos? The lounge filled with lenses and cameras of all makes and models with eager photo enthusiasts lending an ear to the professional’s advice.
In the late afternoon I gave a presentation on krill and the krill fishery. It was very well attended and many provocative questions and discussions emerged.
Tonight we watch the movie, “Chasing Shackleton.” It is a documentary of an expedition to re-enact as close possible the journey of Shackleton and his five brave comrades crossing the Southern Ocean and South Georgia. It is a fitting end to our South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula adventure. Now we look toward the Falklands.
