This inaugural voyage of the National Geographic Resolution began yesterday in Ushuaia, Argentina, as we set sail across the Drake Passage and on to Antarctica. The ship is spectacular and the crew was ready to spoil us as much as possible. Windy conditions built up the anxiety, but this vessel performed incredibly.
With following winds and large waves, we surfed our way across the Drake making incredible speed. By the afternoon, the winds had died down even though a huge swell continued to run. More and more birds joined us, including one of my favorites, the light-mantled albatross. A number of marine mammals were spotting including hourglass dolphins, humpback whales, and the second largest animal ever on earth, the fin whale.
A fiery sunset lit up the sky as we approached the South Shetland Islands after only one full day at sea. What a way to start what should be an incredible journey for this lovely vessel! An incredibly fast crossing and our first landing tomorrow morning on the Antarctic continent.
