Drake Passage , 2/19/2020, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
As we crossed the Drake Passage, we partook in a thorough decontamination protocol to prepare for our landfall on the Antarctic continent today. Boots were scrubbed, bags were vacuumed out, and no seed was left clinging to a Velcro strap. By doing this we greatly reduced the chance of unwittingly ferrying unwanted hitchhikers like plants, fungal spores, or pathogens to the White Continent. We are now ready for Antarctica!
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
National Geographic Resolution sailed south across the Drake Passage overnight. Seas were calm, but morning found us shrouded in fog as we made our way towards our first destination of the trip. As we grew nearer to Booth Island and Port Charcot, the fog began to lift and visibility improved. Things were looking promising by lunch time. Icebergs began appearing out of the mist and soon the Antarctic Peninsula came into view. As we steamed toward the French Passage, we began seeing humpback whales, first as blows a mile or more from the ship, but soon much closer. We spent the afternoon hiking among chinstrap and gentoo penguins, but the ice was the real star of today’s show. Towering icebergs in a dizzying array of shapes glowed in the sun as we watched whales surfacing and diving and occasionally breaching among them. There is something simply awe-inspiring about an animal that is more than 50 feet long throwing itself almost completely out of the water before crashing down to make an enormous splash. Why do they do it? Because they can. This is a storied part of the Antarctic Peninsula, with names like Gerlache and Shackleton and Charcot dotting the map. But today, nature stole the show as she so often does. The day simply could not have been more perfect.
Today may be a day at sea, but it is a full day for everyone on board! There is so much to go over in preparation for our arrival in Antarctica. First, there are the introductions to the natural history staff - each staff member is quick (times a’wastin’) and no one will remember everyone (that comes later). The natural history staff is diverse, and we all have more than one specialty: photography, marine mammals, botany, undersea, birds, geology, etc. The excitement continues to build this morning as Shelli, Assistant Expedition Leader, gives a briefing on our landing and Zodiac operations. The rest of the day brings scheduled talks on photography and sea birds. There is also plenty of great food. I see people wandering about the ship, getting use to their new home, and folks out on the decks. Late in the afternoon, we cross 60 degrees south latitude and enter what is the legal definition of Antarctica. Tomorrow we will see land. Just before dinner Captain Martin Graser welcomes us and introduces many of his officers. We are almost there, and we are ready!
Our day aboard National Geographic Explorer started out cruising towards Orne Harbor. Due to icy conditions, what was to be a landing turned into a beautiful Zodiac cruise to experience the nearby chinstrap penguin and Antarctic shag colonies. We could hear the rumbles and grumbles of the surrounding glaciers as we captured images of fragmented ice. We then headed to Portal Point to make our first continental landing in the afternoon. As some guests stepped out of the Zodiacs they squealed with delight as they had just completed their seventh continent. Welcome to the Antarctic continent!
