Grinder Rock & Hydrurga Island, 1/2/2022, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
Waking in Antarctica is an astounding sight to behold! We spent the morning at Grinder Rock and for the first time since setting sail from Ushuaia, we got to leave the ship and explore the area by Zodiac.
Grinder Rock is a group of flat-topped lichen- and snow-covered rocks located near a glaciated island coastline. Making our way along the edge we found numerous passageways and nooks to tuck our boats into and look at the beautiful steep rock cliffs towering over us. As we made our way around the island, we were treated to our first encounter with penguins.
The afternoon brought us to Hydrurga Island, a hotspot for wildlife! The island is home to nesting chinstrap penguins and kelp gulls. Often because of its location, Weddell seals will haul out here for a snooze and occasionally you can see elephant seals. We should count ourselves lucky because a juvenile elephant seal was resting in the shallows on the back side of the landing, visible by the Zodiac cruise.
Most spectacular of all were the blue skies and sunshine that continued well into the night. We stayed up late on the bow and had a once in a lifetime experience with half a dozen or more groups of humpback whales cooperative lunge-feeding in the golden light of the Antarctic sunset.
Amy was raised near Cape Cod in coastal Marion, Massachusetts, and her relationship with the ocean and nature has always been an active one. Her parents, avid divers and marine biologists, introduced her to the underwater world when she was very youn...
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>We spent the day exploring the entire coast of James Ross Island in the Weddell Sea. We had the full spectrum of Antarctic weather, from glassy calm to 70+kt winds to a beautiful sunset.
The intrepid adventurers aboard National Geographic Explorer continued their journey across the Drake Passage under a grey sky and fair winds. As the ship approached the Antarctic peninsula, vigilant eyes were rewarded with brief sightings of minke whales and other charismatic wildlife. By midmorning, our explorers had their first sighting of land as the ship reached the South Shetland Islands. Traveling through the scenic channels of the South Shetland Islands, National Geographic Explorer found its way to Barrientos Island. Under favorable conditions, adventurers took part in their first outing of the expedition – a shore landing to observe the penguin colonies. On the island, explorers were delighted by the many gentoo and chinstrap penguins that inhabit the island. Additional appearances by skua, shearwaters, and cormorants added to the day. Not to be outdone by the birds, a marine mammal also made an appearance – the first Weddell seal of the voyage. As the winds picked up, the explorers returned to the ship where they were treated to a special Captain’s Cocktail Hour to welcome them to Antarctica. Finally, we are here.
After departing Ushuaia late last evening, National Geographic Explorer started the first full day of our expedition sailing south in the Drake Passage. Named after the British privateer Sir Francis Drake, who sailed around South America through the Strait of Magellan in 1577 on his way to attack vessels and raid towns and villages along the Pacific coast of South, Central, and North America, the Drake is infamous for its oftentimes turbulent and stormy waters. The powerful Southern Ocean and winds in the bottleneck created by the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia sometimes create heavy seas of legendary proportions. In the old days, these seas sank numerous whaling ships, cargo ships, the tall ships transporting guano between Chile or Peru and Europe, and the passenger vessels of travelers hoping to participate in California’s Gold Rush. The Drake treated us nicely today. I love the open ocean, and the Drake Passage offers a chance to watch some of the most spectacular birds on earth, the albatrosses. Early this morning, I grabbed my parka and my camera and headed out to the sun deck. As I opened the door, the clean, cold air hit my face, and I saw it almost immediately: a wandering albatross! All albatross species are very impressive birds. They are capable of gliding over the ocean in incredibly long journeys to look for food. They can cover entire ocean basins. Their long and narrow wings are perfectly adapted to ride the wind with no apparent movement. They can lock special joints in their shoulders and elbows that allow them to travel long distances with very low energy costs. Their long wings have accompanied ships for centuries, and albatrosses are an important component of many legends, superstitions, and songs among sailors. The longest wings belong to the wandering albatross. The wingspan of some individuals measures in at an impossible 12 feet, giving these birds the longest wingspan on the planet. Today we had the pleasure and the honor of watching not one but several individuals throughout the day. We also observed several black-browed albatrosses, a single gray-headed albatross, and a few royal albatrosses, which are almost as big as the wandering albatross. Their majestic and effortless flight delighted those of us who appreciate the beauty of truly wild creatures and places. Tomorrow we should be arriving to the South Shetland Islands, where our expedition of Antarctica will surely give us more amazing moments, but tonight I am going to dream of long wings over stormy seas.
