National Geographic Resolutiongently swayed from side to side all day long, as we steadily plied the textured waters of the Drake Passage en route to Antarctica. We experienced a much more timid version of the notorious Drake Passage, with just a few meters of swell and minimal wind. Presentations were interrupted by snowy albatross, and we were repeatedly hopping out of our seats to marvel at passing fin whales. Conditions were so mellow we even had the chance to marvel at some of the Drake’s smaller inhabitants, like acrobatic Antarctic prions and Wilson’s storm petrels. With our crossing of this narrow portion of the Southern Ocean nearly complete, we look forward to the land of ice which greets us tomorrow.
2/9/2025
Read
National Geographic Resolution
Agostini Fjord and Aguila Glacier
What a very special expedition day! Our morning began with Zodiac cruises at the eastern end of the Agostini Fjord. The Serrano and Agostini Glaciers were clearly visible as we observed the heavily crevassed terminal faces. Cruising in calm waters while watching Magellanic penguins in the fjord, with oystercatchers and the occasional heron along the shoreline, the morning provided guests with wonderful wildlife viewing. Following a short (less than 30 nm) navigation to Aguila Glacier, we embarked on a 2-mile roundtrip hike to the front of the glacier. The first part of the hike is along a rocky shoreline which leads to a rough, sandy trail around part of an enclosed bay that is fed from the Aguila Glacier meltwaters. At the snout, or the terminus of the glacier, five distinct meltwater outwash channels deliver the water that flows directly into the bay, which flows into the adjacent fjord. It was another wonderful day in Patagonia which left us all feeling blessed to be able to witness such beauty.