Cuverville Island and Neko Harbor, Antarctica, 1/31/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Patagonia
The adventures began early for everyone onboard National Geographic Endurance. Boats shuttled us ashore to Cuverville Island where we hiked through snow and penguin colonies. Divers explored below the waves, and some people even toured the area by Zodiac. In the afternoon, we made a continental landing in Neko Harbor. For some guests, this was their seventh and final continent to visit. We had the chance to investigate the ice up close and personal by kayak. The day ended with a ship cruise through the stunning Antarctic scenery.
Explorers Club Member, Polar Expedition Diver, Naturalist, and Historian, Adam Maire is dedicated to exploring around the globe with a goal of researching, documenting, and teaching others about the beauty, the power and the importance of the earth's...
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For seemingly the first time this trip, we experienced the wild elements for which Patagonia is notorious. Our scout boats hit the water as gusts of wind howled down the fjord. After much consideration, National Geographic Resolution sent Ice Pilot Johan Bernekorn to map these uncharted waters with the bathymetry sounding Zodiac. Once a safe path was set, Johan led the ship into the protective bay of Ensenada Kahn, and we were able to stretch our legs onshore for a truly expedition-style landing. We bushwhacked through the brilliant green forest, muskeg, and cobbled beach. The dive team sought shelter from the wind under the sea and were surprised to find so much bustling marine life in such a silty, shallow bay! We spent the afternoon in Seno Hyatt, making quite a splash with a Zodiac cruise, braving the weather to closely observe the tidewater glacier and scenery. A resting leopard seal was spotted on an ice floe! Tucked into a deep crack in the vertical rocks was even a gray-flanked Cinclode hopping between pieces of ice. Humpback whales made an appearance after dinner to wrap up the end of a great day.
This morning, we woke up with National Geographic Resolution sailing through a fjord. With trees, ice, and waterfalls surrounding us, it was truly a magnificent sight to behold. Our first day here in Patagonia will be spent taking our Zodiacs further up these fjords to see the glaciers that have carved out the splendid mountains that surround us. Coming from Antarctica, this was a whole new world. Today we have seen several species of birds and even some South American sea lions. After lunch, we deployed our kayaks to get an even more intimate look at this breathtaking landscape. It was an awesome first day here in Patagonia.
After a night spent sailing through the waves of a moderate Drake Passage, we caught first sight of land in the later part of the morning, signaled by billowing cumulus in the distance as the seas abated. Seabirds of various kinds gathered to accompany us for our arrival back to South America. Though the English name of the Beagle Channel comes from the ship on which Charles Darwin sailed these waters in the 19th century, the area was first known to have been discovered by humans roughly 10,000 years earlier. The Selk'nam, Manek'enk, and Yámana people were the sole occupants of this region prior to the arrival of Europeans, who ultimately brought disease and genocide to its inhabitants. In the afternoon, we learned about the Yámana during a talk by naturalist Jackie. We also had a presentation from our divers, demonstrating how they go about their work in the polar regions. We also heard from Naturalist Toby about the evolution of whales. Throughout the day we observed wildlife, including many birds, whales, and bow-riding dolphins. In the evening, we arrived off Puerto Williams, where officials came on board to clear us into Chile, marking the beginning of the next stage of our journey – the fjords of Patagonia.
