The Drake Passage, 12/11/2021, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
At last, it has begun, our Antarctic adventure. The seas were calm, unusually so. The ever feared and revered Drake Passage did not roar us awake but instead let swells gently guide us towards the Antarctic Peninsula. With ease and deft navigation, we made remarkable time and began our voyage to a land few ever see.
Kayvon Malek is an underwater videographer whose work as an expedition guide and in the wildlife documentary industry have taken him pole to pole. After taking a scuba course on a whim in college, Kayvon’s newfound obsession led him to working as a r...
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Waking up to blue skies and humpback whales, we commenced our morning operations at Spert Island. On the agenda was a Zodiac cruise weaving through the narrow channels that run through the tall basalt cliffs. On return to National Geographic Resolution , the hotel team provided everyone with a surprise BBQ on deck eight, which we all enjoyed while watching humpback whales feeding around us. We then detoured slightly to Deception Island on our way over to the Weddell Sea.
What an unforgettable day full of surprises in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea! Our morning began with beautiful light and the surreal scenery of tabular icebergs merging into the sea ice as National Geographic Endurance sailed along the northeast corner of Snow Hill Island. The first activity of the day was kayaking and Zodiac cruising around the sea ice edge. Adelie penguins were certainly surprised by our sudden arrival. A few curious individuals came closer to get a look at us—funny-looking orange penguins on yellow kayaks. After lunch, we headed out again, this time to walk on the sea ice. To our amazement, two emperor penguins decided to join us on the ice. It was such a delight to witness the bonding of this pair, the most elusive of all Antarctic penguins. After dinner, just when we thought the day couldn’t possibly get any better, we were invited to walk on the ice once more. Once again, we were delighted by a few emperor penguins and otherworldly light.
At Neko Harbor, we walked on the Antarctic Continent near nesting gentoo penguins and a stunningly beautiful glacier. The highlight of our afternoon was watching a pod of type B2 killer whales as they hunted a penguin. Just before dinner, we transited Lemaire Channel, which was made more challenging today by a large iceberg which partially blocked the path.
