Drake Passage, 1/29/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Antarctica
With the Drake Passage, it seems you have a choice between windy or foggy. Today, we experienced calm conditions and fog. Light, northerly winds carried relatively mild air over the cold waters of the Southern Ocean, severely reducing visibility throughout the day. That said, we still observed light-mantled albatrosses, rockhopper penguins and various petrels and 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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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.
This is day one of almost two days crossing the Drake. Not bad. A gentle rocking, some sun, then some fog, then sun again. We have a full day of presentations and special food. Captain Martin takes center stage with a talk on how National Geographic Resolution is so special. He was there when the ship was being built. There are other presentations, including one on lichens by yours truly! Teatime features Argentinean empanadas of all kinds, baked and fried, vegan and not. There is local Argentinean beer tasting too. Dinner was all Pinoy, Philippine food served in national dress. Today we also crossed the polar front and left the Southern Ocean, so it is warmer now. Onward we go.
