Port Lockroy and Dallman Bay, Antarctic Peninsula
It seems only yesterday that we boarded the National Geographic Endeavour for our three week expedition, spanning the islands of the Falklands and South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula. These have been an incredible action packed three weeks, full of experiences we will never forget, but all good things must come to an end. We stand feeling melancholy on deck as we watch the sunlit mountains and glaciers of Dallmann Bay slip away on this, our last night.
We started this day visiting the historic base of Port Lockroy. Once a whale processing site and then a British Research Station, the old base hut has now been turned into a living museum by the British Antarctic Heritage Trust. While snow began to fall outside, slowly at first and increasing at times to near white out conditions, we glanced over old vegetable cans, written testimonies, and Morse code machines. Immersed in this rich history, it was not difficult to imagine how life must have been back at the beginning of research and exploration in the Antarctic, realizing how much has been learned from this last wilderness, but also how much more we have to gain from its preservation.
One of the least studied areas in the Antarctic is the underwater realm. It is there where some of most unique looking and resilient animals live. Aboard National Geographic Endeavour, Undersea Specialist Dennis Cornejo and myself as dive buddy take every opportunity to look under the surface at what is on the bottom, bringing back video and photos for all to enjoy in the comfort of the lounge (rather than the -1.9ºC water!). Using the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), Splash-Cam, and Underwater Video camera, Dennis captures images that astound - from flying penguins to sea spiders to brightly colored anemones. It is not unusual on this underwater exploration to find a creature that has not been categorized by researchers or otherwise, another affirmation that there is still much to investigate in Antarctica.
As the afternoon began to fade into evening, we sailed in Dallmann Bay watching humpback whales feeding undisturbed just ahead of our bow against an amazing backdrop of glaciers, icebergs. As one of the whales slowly dived into the depths, its fluke disappearing beneath the surface, it was a bittersweet wave goodbye for us to the Antarctic and its wonders.
It seems only yesterday that we boarded the National Geographic Endeavour for our three week expedition, spanning the islands of the Falklands and South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula. These have been an incredible action packed three weeks, full of experiences we will never forget, but all good things must come to an end. We stand feeling melancholy on deck as we watch the sunlit mountains and glaciers of Dallmann Bay slip away on this, our last night.
We started this day visiting the historic base of Port Lockroy. Once a whale processing site and then a British Research Station, the old base hut has now been turned into a living museum by the British Antarctic Heritage Trust. While snow began to fall outside, slowly at first and increasing at times to near white out conditions, we glanced over old vegetable cans, written testimonies, and Morse code machines. Immersed in this rich history, it was not difficult to imagine how life must have been back at the beginning of research and exploration in the Antarctic, realizing how much has been learned from this last wilderness, but also how much more we have to gain from its preservation.
One of the least studied areas in the Antarctic is the underwater realm. It is there where some of most unique looking and resilient animals live. Aboard National Geographic Endeavour, Undersea Specialist Dennis Cornejo and myself as dive buddy take every opportunity to look under the surface at what is on the bottom, bringing back video and photos for all to enjoy in the comfort of the lounge (rather than the -1.9ºC water!). Using the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), Splash-Cam, and Underwater Video camera, Dennis captures images that astound - from flying penguins to sea spiders to brightly colored anemones. It is not unusual on this underwater exploration to find a creature that has not been categorized by researchers or otherwise, another affirmation that there is still much to investigate in Antarctica.
As the afternoon began to fade into evening, we sailed in Dallmann Bay watching humpback whales feeding undisturbed just ahead of our bow against an amazing backdrop of glaciers, icebergs. As one of the whales slowly dived into the depths, its fluke disappearing beneath the surface, it was a bittersweet wave goodbye for us to the Antarctic and its wonders.
