Our first day heading south to Antarctica was a quiet one on board National Geographic Explorer. We spent time resting and preparing for the adventures ahead. The wind was up, which kept a few of us down but brought out lots of seabirds, including five species of albatross. In the main lounge, we enjoyed a presentation by the photo team as well as some hands-on instruction to get us all ready to shoot. In the afternoon, we had a briefing on proper interaction with wildlife and practiced a decontamination session in the mudroom to ensure we wouldn’t introduce alien species to the pristine shores of the White Continent. Now we’re ready to go!