Our journey through the majestic fjords of Chilean Patagonia continued, as we made our way north towards Puerto Natales via the “fjords of the mountains.” Known locally as Seno Montañas, this fjord area is straddled by the mountains of the Sarmiento Cordillera to the west and the Riesco Cordillera to the east.
Now used to the wakeup call from expedition leader Lucho, we awoke at 0730 for our usual wholesome breakfast. The weather outside made for a very cozy morning on board, with everyone able to enjoy the beautiful Patagonian forests and coastline from the comfort of National Geographic Endurance. We were treated to our first presentation of the trip from National Geographic photographer Isaí. He told us about the unique insects and locations he studies in Patagonia and shared some of his brilliant macro photography.
After a great lunch on board, we were all eager to make our first landing of the trip at Bernal Glacier. With the wind easing and rain only lightly falling, we enjoyed the short walk through the fuchsia and chaura bushes up to the ice, with impressive views greeting us as we stood underneath the glacial front.
Once back on board, we savored our afternoon tea before enjoying naturalist Jesse’s presentation on the ecosystems of Patagonia. After more great recaps, we made our way to the dining room for another brilliant meal prepared by the galley team.
