Drake Passage, 12/20/2021, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Antarctica
National Geographic Endurance made its way southeast today, across the Drake Passage toward the Weddell Sea. We crossed the Antarctic Convergence Zone and entered the Southern Ocean proper during the early afternoon. Colder seas and the first snow flurries of our voyage marked the crossing. The composition of bird species changed, too: fewer blue petrels and more Antarctic prions.
For as long as he can remember, Conor has always been preoccupied with the natural world, from the whales to the fungi. For most of his life he has been an islander: growing up in Cobh, Ireland and settling down in Tobermory in the Hebrides, Scotland...
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Although perhaps a surprise for polar weather, a little morning rain did not diminish our enjoyment of Petermann Island. Walks extended to both a scenic viewpoint and a mixed-species penguin colony. To our delight, many of the gentoo penguins were feeding their chicks while sheltering them from the precipitation, and multiple sets of twins were observed. Adelie penguin nests, fewer in number, clustered along the high outcrops. Provoking agitation and concern amongst the penguins, skuas swooped low over the colony hoping for a momentarily untended nest and an opportunistic meal. Now approaching the peak of Antarctic summer, icy slopes have turned from white to green and pink due to snow algae. Just as the dramatic blue of an iceberg catches one’s attention, so too do these bold shades as we hike, Zodiac, or sail past expansive algal blooms. A graveyard of sculptural icebergs pushed aground in the shallows by wind was our afternoon focus, and this wonderful day culminates with an evening passage of the Lemaire Channel.
As we make our way north up the Antarctic peninsula, we have been enamored with the ice and scenery along the way. We spent the day Zodiac cruising in two stunning locations. In the morning, we cruised around Detaille Island, the site of an historic research hut and home to an Adelie penguin colony. In the afternoon, we cruised around Orford Point to admire the geology, ice floes, and even found many seals napping on the ice.
After finding some solid ice last night, we woke up parked in the ice ready for the morning’s operations. We opened the penguin gate, dropped the gangway, and began to explore. After lunch we relocated to Horseshoe Island and visited an historic hut, Base Y. While some guests were ashore, Naturalist Brad entertained the remaining guests on board with an interesting presentation on the seals that you can find down in Antarctica. Day Two complete, and it already feels like we’ve accomplished so much.
