Today we woke up well and truly in Antarctic waters, finally below 60 degrees south latitude and with sea temperatures below freezing. With calmer sea conditions, we enjoyed views of beautiful light-mantled albatrosses and cape petrels flying through the light snow falling around the ship. Calmer conditions also allowed us the chance to strengthen our sea legs and enjoy presentations about Antarctic geology and Antarctic krill from our expedition staff. As we made our way into the protected waters of the South Shetland Islands, Captain Yuriy Tupikov hosted a welcome cocktail party for this expedition of National Geographic Explorer. We enjoyed observing beautiful scenery and porpoising penguins from the windows, a “sneak treat” of the excitement to come as we plan to explore the White Continent tomorrow!
3/14/2022
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National Geographic Explorer
Ushuaia, Argentina
A storm system redirected National Geographic Explorer to dock in Ushuaia one day earlier than anticipated at the beginning of the trip. Our last day together was spent touring the countryside of Ushuaia via buses organized by our wonderful team of agents based in the area. These agents provided a day full of breathtaking landscapes and an assortment of weather patterns. The buses served as a comfortable transport to two different lakes, Lake Escondido and Lake Fagnano. Lake Escondido is also known as Hidden Lake. It earned this name by often being covered in a thick layer of fog that conceals its location. We were lucky the winds were strong enough to provide us with a view at the photo stop alongside the road. At Lake Fagnano, our guests were invited to stroll along the marsh to look for birds. After our visits to the lakes, we were escorted to the top of Ushuaia, giving us a great view for our lunch before returning to the ship. A great day of forest views, snow, and peat bogs.
