For the past thirty-six hours, the bridge team of National Geographic Explorer navigated the Drake Passage from Ushuaia, Argentina to Barrientos Island in the South Shetland Island group off the northwest tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We spent our morning learning about seabirds and glaciers on board, and in the afternoon, we made our first landing of the trip and finally set foot in Antarctica! Our guests were filled with delight as most saw their very first penguin colonies! The island is home to chinstrap and gentoo penguins, both of which had chicks, as well as southern giant petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills, and other birdlife. We even had a beautiful sunset at the end of the day as we sailed away from the island after Captain’s Welcome Dinner. What a fantastic and unforgettable day!