Wilhelmina Bay and Cuverville Island, 12/4/2024, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
National Geographic Explorer started the day at Wilhelmina Bay where we were able to get out on the fast ice and stroll comfortably on a windless bay with bright blue skies and comfortable temperatures. In the afternoon we relocated to nearby Cuverville Island, home to a wealth of breeding gentoo penguins. During transit times throughout the day, we were treated to a whale bonanza of humpbacks, Arnoux’s beaked whales, and orca whales.
John’s passion is lifelong learning and sharing what he learns about the natural world with explorers young and old. He grew up in rural Ohio and graduated from Marietta College with a BA in Recreation Management. Wanderlust hit when John decided t...
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The day started with low clouds, intermittent mist and snow, no wind, and flat seas…perfect for the morning ops of kayaking and cruising. Kayakers paddled widely, encountering a few humpback whales, but appreciating most the near-absolute silence. One could occasionally hear penguins calling from distant locations and ice cracking and popping. Cruisers went a bit farther to see a distant pair of whales and penguins jumping on and off ice floes. After returning, the majority of us participated in the traditional polar plunge. Facial expressions before and after the plunge were quite different, as were the descriptive words uttered (screamed?) after emerging from the really cold water! But just after the plunge, the clouds parted and the wind remained minimal, thereby creating an absolutely perfect afternoon and evening. Under these conditions, the voyage to Danco Island was beyond stunning. The bright sunlight illuminated the snow-covered mountains with floating brash ice resembling sparking diamonds. A leopard seal was spotted on an ice floe and a mom-calf humpback pair briefly appeared off our bow. The island experience gave us another opportunity to view penguins and burned their delightful antics deep in our memory. In all, the day deserved a standing ovation!
Guests onboard National Geographic Explorer set sail today from King George Island south towards continental Antarctica. Spirits were high, showing the incredibly positive attitude of our group and their drive to get to the White Continent! The bridge staff pulled anchor this morning and made way towards an incredible columnar basalt formation jetting out of the middle of the ocean. This formation is called Edinburgh Hill and was truly breathtaking as it was backdropped by windows of blue skies. Guests and staff alike were vigilant in their search for whales and penguins, which proved to be a successful endeavor in the evening. While chinstrap and gentoo penguins porpoised around the ship, humpback whales (including a mother and calf pair) surfaced frequently, followed by their fluke displays – a wonderful start to this Antarctic expedition.
We awoke to the low-looming shape of Deception Island off our bow. This active volcano last erupted a half-century ago, taking out some of the local research stations. The island is ring-shaped, and we sailed into the caldera through the only gap. We landed on the steaming beach at Whaler’s Bay. An incredible three quarters of our guests had signed up for the long hike - such keeners! Non-hikers explored the historic remains of the whaling station, which was active here a century ago. Our group first hiked up to Neptune’s Window, a low gap in the caldera rim where we could look out to open sea and in to survey the caldera. From there, we descended back to the beach then up a steep and loose trail to ascend Ronald Hill. From its summit, we had views back down to the beach and to our lovely ship, National Geographic Explorer . After lunch, the bridge team routed us close to some massive tabular icebergs, so very different from the bergs we have been seeing near the peninsula. It was fantastic to see the bridge so crowded with guests, all keen to absorb every experience of this amazing voyage!
