Yesterday evening, National Geographic Explorer quietly departed from the pier in Ushuaia. For a few hours, guests could enjoy beautiful weather and quiet waters of the Beagle Channel. Soon after dinner, we entered open sea of the Drake Strait.
The first morning activity was an introduction to the expedition staff and a Zodiac safety briefing. Later in the morning, naturalist Gerard Baker presented a very interesting lecture regarding the birds of the Southern Ocean.
In the afternoon, guests had two presentations related to photography. National Geographic certified photo instructor Jim Pfitzer and National Geographic photographer Susan Seubert provided useful instructions for photographing during the expedition to come. Their presentations were followed by breakout sessions for guests with all levels of photography experience.
In the evening, guests joined the expedition team in the lounge for cocktails, followed by our first evening recap and a briefing on our plans for the following day.
In the late afternoon, guests watched and photographed the magnificent albatrosses and giant petrels flying around the ship.
Tomorrow we will see Antarctica and experience our first Antarctic landing!
