Just as breakfast was concluding, we reached our furthest point south on this expedition. At 78˚38.744 S x 163˚33.489 W, nestled in the bite of the magnificent Ross Ice Shelf, we arrived at the Bay of Whales. We couldn’t have been graced with a more perfect and overpowering scene of what Antarctica has to offer. The over-400-mile-long Ross Ice Shelf, with its towering 60-foot face, has long been an imposing and impressive feature of this part of the Antarctic. Spilling off the continental ice sheet, this nearly 500 x 400-mile floating ice plateau is the largest in the world. All around us was the gripping sense that we were in a world very few have seen. With winds approaching 50 knots scouring the vast expanse of sea ice clinging to the shelf, the hardy inhabitants of this icy world were all around. Primarily we observed tens of thousands of Antarctic petrels and snow petrels; scattered clusters of Adelie penguins and emperor penguins dotted the scene, while Weddell seals lounged about as if it were just another day at the office.
2/27/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Drake Passage and Beagle Channel
This morning there is once again water as far as the eye can see, and the Drake Passage has not lived up to its intimidating reputation. The sun came out in glorious form and we watched it paint the tops of the waves with orange light. Land Ho! South America has been spotted. Soon the green covered hills of Tierra Del Fuego were clearly seen. Gone are the ice-covered hills, the glaciers, and tabular icebergs. Before us are trees, sea birds, and hints of a town. Black-browed albatross and blue-eyed shags guide us toward the tip of South America as if to help us transition from the life we have lived these past weeks back to the lives we previously knew. How to share what we just experienced with those we love who have not been a part of it is a quandary we all face. How many of our photos do we share to convey the magic? Will anyone honestly understand how we felt being there? Will anyone notice that we have been deeply changed by this past month in Antarctica? And the question that we all ask ourselves, will we be able to keep this experience close to our hearts? “Dolphin!”, someone cries out. Our inner thoughts disappear as Peale’s dolphins bow ride our ship. Then the blows of sei whales are seen and we spend the rest of the afternoon watching their sharp dorsal fins cut the surface of the sea. The ship moves on as life moves on. Our trip is coming to an end. The Beagle channel opens its arms and welcomes us back. Fair winds and following seas fellow travelers.
