Most of the guests aboard the National Geographic Explorer were mentally prepared for a tumultuous transit across the dreaded Drake Passage. But luck shined on us and through the night we had very little motion. An early wake-up call by our expedition leader Lucho alerted us to the presence of whales. Only a low, long swell could be felt as we arrived on the bow and outer decks to view the whales that had been spotted. In the distance we could see the first land of Antarctica, but closer were the blows of a number of humpback and fin whales. Just as some of us were having breakfast we passed through the English Strait between some of the South Shetland Islands. Strong currents caused by the tide created an area of favorable feeding for penguins, and in the swell meeting the tidal current we spotted a large number of mostly chinstrap penguins feeding and porpoising in and out of the water.
Following breakfast we all attended a briefing about the Antarctic Treaty and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Then we learned about Zodiac operations on the National Geographic Explorer and had a detailed introduction into what to expect upon going ashore in various locations. A critical procedure before going ashore is to have equipment decontaminated. To insure that any equipment that has been used elsewhere in the world would not introduce non-native species, staff were stationed in the mudroom to clean previously used gear.
Following lunch it was time to make our first landing on Antarctica. Aitcho Island is a member of the Barrientos Archipelago of the South Shetland Islands. On Aitcho there is a healthy breeding population of chinstrap and gentoo penguins. While half of the group went ashore the other half learned about the different penguins and their adaptations and behavior from staff naturalist, Magnus. The groups switched after about one-and-a-half hours.
The island was a flurry of activity. Gentoo chicks were out of their nest locations. Some were resting on their bellies, some standing around, and many were running around after one of their adults hoping for a beakful of krill. Chinstraps were still clumped on the rounded knobs of hills, their large chicks huddled together in groups. However, adults were transmitting back and forth from the shoreline to the awaiting hungry young. Most people ventured over to the beach on the far side of the island to see penguins swimming nearby and coming out of the water. A lone Weddell seal on the beach was also a new species for the trip and many images were taken of it.
In the evening our course was set to cross the Bransfield Strait as welcome cocktails and dinner capped off the first day in Antarctica.
