Port Lockroy, 2/16/2020, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Antarctica
Waking up to blue skies and big smiles, we sail into our last true day down on the white continent. Finding ourselves at the well-known anchorage of Port Lockroy for one last morning of adventures before pulling anchor and head north back into the famous Drake Passage once more.
Born on Australia’s northern beaches and raised on the coast of tropical Queensland, Beau developed his love for the ocean and all things water at an early age. Forever planning a career revolving around water, he became a PADI Divemaster before grad...
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We were in our Zodiacs by 7:30am for a last excursion through the swell and ice of Spert Island and Farewell Rock. Between basalt cliffs, grounded icebergs, and clear turquoise waves, this landscape was one of the most dramatic we have seen. It was also our first opportunity to visit a chinstrap penguin colony. This adventure was under our belts by 9am and we had the rest of the day for brunch, rest, an art tour, waffles for teatime, a presentation by our National Geographic photographer, and our final recap.
As the early breakfast started at 0630, National Geographic Endurance arrived west of Booth Island. We navigated among icebergs towering larger than the ship, and the landscape was otherworldly. We got in our Zodiacs and stepped ashore on Hovgaard Island. We spent the morning walking across the snow-covered island and the views were incredible. When back aboard, the ship continued south through the Penola Strait, to the Argentine Islands. We were going to the Vernadsky Station! You could not imagine a warmer welcome than that which we received from the base personnel. They showed us around and spoke about life at the station and about some of the research they’re conducting. As we continued to explore, we enjoyed the natural history and incredible wildlife until it was time to return to National Geographic Endurance. After dinner we sailed through the stunning Lemaire Channel.
Last night, we said goodbye to the Antarctic Circle and awoke to the sounds of our expedition leader’s ukulele just north of the 66.33-degree boundary. Our morning at sea began with lessons on Earth’s icebox and photography by the very talented expedition staff. On our journey, we navigated through chunks of sea ice and glacial icebergs, ranging from bits to gigantic towers. As the ship met ice, long cracks snaked through the white sheets and loud rumbles broke the silence. Eventually we settled next to a beautiful black mountain under a moody sky. We had arrived at the Fish Islands. From the bridge, we got a glimpse of the fun in store…Adélie and shag nests scattered on the exposed rock on the islands! After a delicious Mexican buffet, we were ready to explore. With the help of the Zodiacs, we witnessed the life of the Adélies (and two gentoos) up close. They are quite the characters. Research has shown that they steal pebbles- a hot commodity- from most nests in the colony. Just when we thought our day couldn’t get any more exciting, three friendly humpback whales breached right off the bow. We watched them feed and listened to them whistle as the sun slowly turned an Antarctic winter orange.
