Our second day at sea away from South Georgia was a bit rough as we bumped our way west to the protection of the Falkland Islands. It is Equinox today which means “equal night”. One of only two days, the other being September 21st, that all points on Earth receive the same amount of daylight. The sun is right over the Equator on these two days and the sun sets at the South Pole and rises at the North Pole. There is only one sunset and sunrise per year at the poles. This is first day of fall in the southern hemisphere and the weather showed that summer is not long in the Southern Ocean. The low pressures become more and more intense in the fall. National Geographic Explorer is an excellent ship in these types of seas though and as we edged up onto the continental shelf close to the Falkland Islands the sea state changed and we could feel the difference in the swells.
There were several talks given today on various subjects and we also returned the gear used to make our walks ashore more comfortable. The galley outdid themselves with Swedish pancakes which were enjoyed by those who indulged. There was also a chance during cocktail hour to enjoy one last recap of some of the subjects raised during the expedition. It was time to think about disembarkation from the ship and the amazing experiences we have had on this unique journey to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. But first we will have a visit to Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, tomorrow and experience the Falklands culture.
