West Point and Elephant Point, Falkland Islands, 10/27/2024, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Antarctica
After a couple of windy days, we were pleasantly greeted with a calm morning at West Point. We went ashore to visit a cliffside nesting site where brown-browed albatross and rockhopper penguins nest in the same location. Albatross soared overhead, often within just a few feet of us as we watched.
In the afternoon, we explored Eagle Point on Saunders Island by hiking the beautiful grassy landscapes to look at a few freshwater ponds and watch more penguins. It was a great day for hiking and bird watching!
Growing up in Washington, Kelly has always felt connected to nature and the outdoors. With the Puget Sound and Cascade Range in her backyard, it came as no surprise that she decided to study environmental science, graduating from Santa Clara Universi...
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A bit of wind wasn’t going to stop us from getting off the ship and onto Saunders Island for some exploration, birds, and incredible photography. Landing on a white sandy beach with a welcome party of penguins, we set off along the cliffs for a beautiful walk. The cliff was lined with nesting albatross, and we soon reached our final destination. Golden lichen-covered rocks surrounded a huge nesting colony of rockhopper penguins and imperial cormorants. So cool!
The day that ended up being so much more than a sea day… We had set off on our adventure and were all prepared for a day at sea full of things to do aboard the incredible National Geographic Endurance . After a wonderful breakfast, we were off to the ice lounge to meet the expedition staff. We learned of the careers and pathways that led this knowledgeable team from across the globe to the positions they hold in which they deeply connect us with the incredible locations we will visit on this voyage. We had presentations throughout the day including, “Life in the Falklands” from Naturalist Josh Peck and Expedition Leader Russ Evans, “Smartphone Photography” from Certified Photo Instructor Chris Cook, and “Seabirds of the South” from Naturalist Mike Greenfelder. We were given the exciting news from Expedition Leader Russ that there would be a change in our plan, we would be going ashore! This allowed us to visit a gentoo penguin colony in Grave Cove, Falkland Islands. It truly was an adventure as we used the Zodiacs to get to the beach and then explored the stunning area with our naturalists as guides.