Today was a beautifully sunny and windy day as we crossed the Drake Passage on National Geographic Explorer. We had perfect conditions for watching seabirds, including albatrosses, shearwaters, and petrels. We had an opportunity to learn more about Antarctica during presentations and then finally, after lunch, we spotted land on the tip of South America. The seas calmed as we entered the Beagle Channel, and we enjoyed the views as we sailed into Ushuaia. The captain’s farewell cocktail hour was a wonderful cap to the trip, along with the guest slideshow. It was an amazing last day on board and an absolutely incredible trip to the White Continent.
12/25/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Barrientos and Half Moon Islands
Merry Christmas from National Geographic Endurance which just arrived in Antarctica! It is not a bad Christmas morning when the first thing one does is step foot on the Antarctic Continent to be greeted by penguins! After a day of sailing, we arrived at the South Shetlands and made our very first landing at Barrientos Island. Already at the beach, we saw gentoos and chinstrap penguins, that seemed to be awaiting our arrival. It was only a short walk to the colonies and there we could see penguins laying on their eggs and even a few recently hatched chicks! After the great make-your-own-pasta-bar lunch, the next activity was a landing at Half Moon Island. There we chose between a long or shorter hike to get a Christmas Day leg stretch and see even more penguins. After a busy day of outings, it was time for the first recap of the journey and then finally Christmas dinner, where the Christmas buffet awaited guests with some of the best food there is. Today was definitely a Christmas Day to remember!
