The guests aboard the National Geographic Explorer awoke excited for a brand-new day on the Antarctic Peninsula. Refreshed and ready for anything, they disembarked the ship in the Weddell Sea. This sea has the potential to remain ice-locked for much longer than other areas along the peninsular coast, as the prevailing near-coastal current circumnavigates the continent with a counterclockwise drift, opposite of the standard Southern Ocean current system. This brings an onslaught of ice break from massive ice shelves along the southeastern coast of the continent, pinning them against the northeasterly facing arm of the peninsula and trapping the islands submerged in the Weddell Sea.
Very luckily, this very location is where the National Geographic Explorer found herself on Saturday morning. Devil’s Island is a small, narrow, one-mile long island lying north of James Ross Island. Upon arrival, we were greeted with spectacularly calm, beautiful waters, and a sunny warm sky. The only option on a day like today: kayaking! The expedition team quickly set up the kayak platform while the rest of the staff brought guests ashore for a beautiful hike. Guests spent their time in kayaks taking in the breathtaking views of massive icebergs and perfectly mellow water. The consistent slap of a paddle against water combined with the silence of a resting ocean is not an experience that will go unnoticed. During this time the dive team went out for a quick jump into the Southern Ocean. They were rewarded with echinoderms galore! Sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers, and jellies to a diver’s delight. The 28 degree water welcomed them as it welcomed each guest bold enough to participate in the polar plunge, a particularly chilly welcome to Antarctica.
After a beautiful day of kayaking and exploring around the coastal peninsula, the guest contingency gathered in the lounge for the evening’s Recap and delicious libations. The natural history staff went over the daily activities, adding insight to one particular outing or another, and Luis Verdesoto, our expedition leader, prepared the guests for the next day’s plans. Happy and ready for another day, those aboard the National Geographic Explorer retired for a well-deserved night’s rest.
