Waking slowly this morning, gratefully rocked by a gently moving Drake Passage, we woke with much expectation of the day ahead—today promised our first chance to sight the outlying islands of the Antarctic Peninsula as the unusually calm conditions at sea were assisting an early arrival at the white continent.
Our wellness specialist Kim shared her morning stretch class in the lounge with some new friends and a hearty breakfast prepared by our great galley team was eagerly enjoyed by all of us. Toasty warm with coffee, tea, and a smorgasbord of hot breakfast options, we were ready for an energized day! We convened in the lounge for the mandatory IAATO briefing on all Antarctic protocols, where expedition leader Shaun showed his two decades of experience with fluent, clear, and often humorous descriptions of the ins and outs of surviving a trip to the south and importantly, leaving the land and its creatures as they were before our visit.
Our National Geographic photographer Dan exploded into our day with an amazing array of stories of extreme photographic assignments, leading to a scrumptious lunch in the dining room and our much loved naturalist Tom Ritchie helping us digest a wonderful range of aspects of the Antarctic continent that lay before us in his inimitable fashion. A tea break to rest and recharge was followed by Marieke’s great presentation on the larger than life whales of the region, an evening briefing, and the evening meal.
During dinner, the expedition team were congregating in the bridge, binoculars fixed on the bushy breathing blows below an icy precipice before the ship—humpbacks! They were feeding, frolicking, rolling, fin slapping, and tail fluke waving at us as if to say “Welcome to Antarctica!” We quickly changed into suitable gear for the fresh breeze, crowded the outer decks, and were privy to displays of exuberant whales enjoying their seasonal buffet of rich feeding grounds. Captain and bridge officers maneuvered us into perfect position to admire the majestic creatures, delight in magnificent icebergs, and witness the clearing of foggy skies to reveal the glinting sunlit icescapes that all of us had dreamt of for so long. And now we were here…a magical day, an endless sunset, a wonderful group of fun and nature-loving souls. And this on just our second day of our expedition—it’s just the beginning!
