Drake Passage
The infamous Drake Passage was wonderfully calm as we were fortunate enough to experience a “Drake Lake,” and we quickly gained our sea legs. These conditions are fantastic for spotting wildlife and even with little wind; we had a chance to see our first Wandering Albatross. They are the world’s largest seabird with a wingspan as long as 1.3 meters. It was wonderful to sit out on the sun deck and watch their dynamic soaring flight as they circled around the ship.
During lunch eagle eyes in the dining room spotted some Minke whales, and we rushed out on deck to see them. Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales and are found in the Southern Ocean feeding on krill during the summer. It was roughly at the same time that we crossed the Polar Front, the area where the sea water temperature decreases rapidly to just above freezing and this is the biological boundary waters of Antarctica. We saw a fairly large group of about 20 whales and they were charging at the surface. It was bit of an unusual sighting as Minke whales are typically not as surface active and not seen in such big groups. One whale swam right next to the National Geographic Explorer and breached out of the water so we could even look it in the eye.
This day at sea we had the chance to learn more about Antarctica, spot our first Albatrosses, and even look in the eye of a whale. Who knows what exciting adventures await us tomorrow as we make our first landing in Antarctica!
