This morning the guests aboard National Geographic Explorer awoke to our last beautiful, cloudless day in these true Antarctic waters. Dallmann Bay was the location of the morning’s expeditions—both above and below the surface.
Dallmann Bay was first discovered but left unnamed by a German expedition under Dallmann, 1872-74. The islands were re-sighted and roughly charted by the French Antarctic Expedition under Charcot, 1903-05. Charcot named what he believed to be the largest easternmost island in the nearby Melchior Group “Île Melchior” after Vice Admiral Melchior of the French Navy, but later surveys proved Charcot’s “Île Melchior” to be two islands—now called Eta Island and Omega Island. The name Melchior Islands has since become the name for the whole island group, of which Eta and Omega islands are
With the sun shining, we loaded into our Zodiacs, eager for one last cruise along the coastline to search for wildlife, ground icebergs, and a glimpse of the undersea team emerging from the depths.
Before setting sail, we needed to acknowledge one last tradition—the Polar Plunge! The mudroom was packed with adventurous guests, full of anticipation and offering support, as fellow travelers took the leap into near-freezing waters. Some even returned for seconds! With warm towels, pats on backs, and laughs all around, we closed our Antarctic chapter in style.
