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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National Geographic Endurance left the Antarctic Peninsula and sailed enroute to the South Orkney Islands, making its way through ice and calm waters. We observed multiple whale species feeding in the nutrient rich waters. There were humpbacks, minkes, and a pod of fin whales who were travelling with a blue whale! The seabirds were struggling with the light winds, however, it gave us a chance to observe them closely and get great photographs. We are saddened to leave Antarctica, but more than excited for the islands of South Orkney and South Georgia ahead.
We arrived at the picturesque Cierva Cove early this morning, greeted by beautifully calm conditions, fresh snow on the mountains, and a crisp air temperature just below zero. We launched the Zodiacs for a wildlife-filled cruise among the icebergs. We encountered gentoo penguins returning to the colony to feed their chicks, a beautiful, young leopard seal on the ice, and, the special treat of the day, an incredibly curious Antarctic minke whale! The whale swam from boat to boat, repeatedly swimming around and underneath us, clearly looking up at the Zodiacs and the awe-struck people in them! After a lunchtime repositioning of National Geographic Endurance , we dropped the Zodiacs once again. This time we were landing ashore at Palaver Point for a good leg stretch! A haven for penguin lovers, with its extensive chinstrap penguin colony, the landing site was busy with a mixture of molting adult birds, fledged chicks, and a few young chicks still on the nest begging for food from their parents. We had the chance for a snowy climb to the viewpoint to take in the last views of the White Continent before National Geographic Endurance’s last departure from Antarctica for the season!
There is not much that could have changed today to make it more spectacular. It started with kayaking at Wilhelmina Bay and then Zodiac cruising around massive icebergs, where a humpback whale passed right under Zodiacs, so close that people could look into its eye. When we weren’t being surrounded by whales, we got to take our first steps on the Antarctic Continent at Portal Point. And there was even a wedding! Marvin and Chenet, a Waiter and a Hotel Stewardess on National Geographic Endurance , said their sweet nuptials on the Antarctic Continent. It was truly a heartfelt day. But before the evening came to a close, killer whales were spotted by Able-Bodied Seaman Nelson, so we got to travel with a pod of killer whales as the light started to fade around the Southern Ocean. What a way to end another magnificent day aboard National Geographic Endurance.
