National Geographic Explorer ventured south to kick off their first operations on the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship cruised past surreal landscapes of mountains blanketed in snow and shorelines dotted with icebergs. With blue skies and golden morning light, guests on the bridge were able to spot spouts from humpback whales feeding in the distance.
Today, the National Geographic Explorer team was able to take guests Zodiac cruising through Curtiss Bay and to a landing site onshore at Mikkelsen Harbour. Curtiss Bay is a four-mile-wide bay filled with icebergs and wildlife. Guests were fortunate to encounter a resting leopard seal and gentoo penguins along the ice. In the afternoon, Mikkelsen Harbour proved to be a worthwhile destination where guests enjoyed a gentoo penguin colony, and historical remains from the whaling era.
Happy New Year’s Eve! Guests brought in 2025 with whales surrounding the ship and the crew band, ‘The Spice Girls’, playing live music well into the night to toast to the new year.
