National Geographic Resolution entered the Beagle Channel early Thursday morning, with Pia Glacier as our destination. Pia Glacier is located on the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel and lies within the Darwin Range. It is a tidewater glacier that is fed from the South Patagonia Darwin Icefield, and the terminus of the glacier is Pia Bay. Pia Glacier is one of five major glaciers in the Beagle Channel’s “Glacier Alley.”
The morning activity consisted of Zodiac cruises within Pia Bay. All Zodiac drivers kept a safe distance from the glacier front; large tower-like blocks of ice (up to 20 feet in height and ten feet in width) were released into the bay as a result of calving events. As always, our visit to Pia was special given the grandeur of the glaciers and the surrounding landscape.
In the afternoon, we continued our navigation east toward the entrance of Beagle Channel, and then it will be onwards to the Drake Passage and Antarctica.
