Booth & Petermann Islands, 11/26/2022, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
Today we visited some of the islands on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Despite a weather system impacting the area, we still had a wonderful landing in the morning and a Zodiac cruise in the afternoon. The good thing about weather systems in Antarctica is that sometimes they bring … snow! And penguins in the whirling snow are a challenging but beautiful thing to photograph.
Javier 's passion for birds and nature began as a child exploring the Pyrenees mountains with his father. The mystery that surrounds the Lammergeier silhouette triggered his curiosity and interest towards wildlife. Javier studied biology in Spain and...
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Like all good days of exploration, our morning started well before breakfast with a sighting of B2 killer whales, followed by a change of plans due to ice conditions at our desired landing. Quickly pivoting, the staff team scouted a new-to-Lindblad hiking location at Cape Bird, the southernmost point of the Tabarin Peninsula. Excited for an official continental landing, we meandered over black and red volcanic debris to reach the edge of a glacier and examined small marine creatures stranded on the beach by the last high tide. Snow flurries and wind picked up mid-day and reduced visibility, only making our Zodiac cruises around Devil Island more magical. Grounded pieces of sea and glacial ice created a sculpture garden to explore. Smells and sounds of the Adelie colony carried far from shore, and we delighted in watching penguins leap onto and dive off the icebergs. Multiple members of the National Geographic Endurance crew and staff previously worked at research stations on Antarctica, so this evening they shared stories and photos, deepening our appreciation of life on the continent.
The day began with an early wakeup call for an incredible sighting of type B killer whales while the ship transited to our first stop at Tay Head on Joinville Island. The morning sent us ashore for a visit to an incredible Adelie penguin colony and a beautiful hike with views of the island. After lunch, a blue whale was spotted while transiting to Paulette Island before disappearing amongst the ice. Zodiac cruises allowed us to explore bergs floating in front of another Adelie penguin colony, and guests were treated to hot chocolate served by the hotel team via Zodiac. After dinner, a rarely seen emperor penguin chick was spotted on the ice as the ship transited further south into the Weddell Sea, bringing the penguin species observed during our trip to eight!
Today we sailed west from the South Orkney Islands to Elephant Island. Great conditions rewarded us with views of multiple bird and whale species. We heard from our National Geographic photographer and one of our naturalists during the morning. After dinner, we arrived at our destination, where we ship cruised around Point Wilde and witnessed where Shackleton’s men sheltered to await rescue. A special afternoon tea was arranged by the hotel and deck team, and guests had a chance to dive behind the scenes to see how our operation is run. Now we steam south in the Weddell Sea.
