Excitement was high as we arrived in Antarctica today, marking the start of our expedition to the White Continent and beyond. Over lunch, massive tabular icebergs — once part of an ice shelf — began to appear all around us, sending guests rushing to the windows for photos. In the afternoon, we launched our fleet of Zodiacs for the first operation of the trip — a cruise along the brash ice. Despite the sharp wind chill, we had incredible first encounters with humpback whales and seals. Meanwhile, the undersea team, a unique program at National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, suited up for a scuba dive, capturing footage of krill swarms below the surface. Just when we thought the day couldn’t get better, an emperor penguin made a surprise appearance — a lucky sight this time of year. What a spectacular start to our Antarctic adventure!