Steadying ourselves as we swing and sway through the corridors was becoming a honed art for many of us this morning. Perhaps we’re still not managing it gracefully, but we are getting to know the rolling swell of the Southern Ocean and when to walk, stop, hold on, or just lie down! Indeed we are perplexed by the abilities of the crew who seem to float across the ship with their hands laden with trays and plates, glasses, and jugs—and not even bat an eyelid.
As the coffee was being poured and the eggs fried this morning we were happy to find the swell had in fact dissipated greatly since the previous evening. A day at sea in the Southern Ocean needn’t mean lying in bed escaping the feelings of a queasy stomach, and a day like today was a chance to take advantage of all that National Geographic Explorer has to offer.
Enjoying some time on the bridge is a highlight for many people when exploring far-flung oceans at the bottom of the globe. Watching immense wandering albatrosses glide alongside the bridge windows is always a remarkable sight. For those after a more energetic sea day the gym offers wonderful opportunities for spotting wildlife too! You can spend time on the bikes, cross trainers, or treadmills and gaze out across the vastness of the ocean we are now leaving behind.
We are now well on our way back to the Falkland Islands and, as is the case with any day at sea with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, we had an array of interesting and educational presentations. From Eduardo’s marvellous talk about the gauchos of Argentina to Andy’s insights into humpback whale research, our naturalists kept our minds ticking. What’s more, we have two unique Global Perspectives guest speakers on board and today was also our chance to hear from both Bob Bindschadler and Don Walsh. Learning about the state of the Earth’s ice sheets from Bob, an eminent glaciologist, was a good opportunity to understand more about why they are shrinking and the implications this has for the Earth as a whole. A scary topic perhaps—but something we need to address and understand.
With our upcoming destination in mind another topic many of want to understand more about is the Falklands War. Don gave us an insight into the war and our guest Leon—a local Falkland Islander—was willing to add more of his personal insights and knowledge. For many of us, embarking on a journey to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands wouldn’t be quite the same if we weren’t given these distinctive, firsthand and informed insights into where we are going and what we are seeing. As we made our way to dinner this evening we had plenty of topics to discuss.
