If one heeds the warnings of Shackleton’s adventures, then the Weddell Sea is something to be feared. To explore its vastness is a challenge fraught with shifting ice, but National Geographic Explorer took on that challenge with great success. In the early hours, we navigated the ice in search of marine mammals, of which we found a multitude. Setting off in our Zodiacs, guests experienced lunge-feeding humpback and minke whales at eye level. In the afternoon, we were rewarded with killer whales, specifically Type B2s, which are found only in the Antarctic peninsula. Guests spent the afternoon enjoying the vistas of ice and wildlife, and the evening presented the kind of sunset that lasts in one’s memory for a lifetime.