Grytviken and Godthul, South Georgia, 11/22/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Antarctica
Today we woke up in Grytviken, which is the site of the first whaling station built in 1904 by Carl Larsen. We started off the morning with a toast to Ernest Shackleton, otherwise known as “The Boss,” and then visited his gravesite. Afterwards, we explored the whaling station, where we learned about the area’s whaling history.
In the afternoon, we moved over to Godthul after dropping off hikers in Cobbler’s Cove. The hikers were keen for a hike to a macaroni penguin colony. The rest of the group enjoyed scenic Zodiac cruises around the bay amidst Antarctic terns, cute elephant seals, and Antarctic fur seals. To cap off the day, brave souls took the Polar Plunge and dove into the cold waters of South Georgia.
With an insatiable curiosity, Ezra has been drawn to travel the world and explore from a young age. Ezra pursued a degree in History from Colorado College, which only further piqued his interest to travel and see firsthand the places that he had read...
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National Geographic Endurance set sail from the western edge of the Falkland Islands late last evening, and we enjoyed a relaxing day at sea. Guests were treated to smooth seas with plenty of albatrosses soaring about the vessel. The morning was full of educational opportunities. The undersea team shared photos collected while exploring the diverse underwater environments that the Falkland Islands provide. Next came a presentation by marine biologist Connor Ryan who spoke about the dynamics of how plankton and seabirds dictate the ecological rhythms of the upper layer of the ocean. Such a trip as we have had is certainly hard to summarize. Over the past three weeks, we visited some of the most spectacular and densely populated wildlife regions on our planet. Today was a day of reflection, photo editing, fine food, and contemplation of all that has occurred.
They say time flies by quickly when you’re having a good time, and that is exactly what has happened on National Geographic Endurance . We’ve almost reached the end of our fantastic voyage. Today is our last day to go ashore before we head back out to sea, back to where it all began in Ushuaia, Argentina. We had the opportunity to explore the natural wonders of the Falkland Islands one last time, and the stunning wildlife did not disappoint. We started the day on Carcass Island, where we hiked toward a historic settlement founded in 1872. Along the way, we met a wide variety of endemic birds. These sightings gave us the chance to put into action everything we learned from our photographers. We captured the most stunning images of Cobb’s and grass wrens, as well as long-tailed meadowlarks, Magellanic oystercatchers, and Magellanic snipes. In the afternoon, we explored Grave Cove. Located at the northwesternmost point of West Falkland, this narrow bay is home to the largest gentoo penguin colony in the Falkland Islands. Lucky for us, the eggs have already hatched, and adorable, fluffy penguin chicks peeked their heads up from under their parents’ brood pouches. We were all left with heart-warming feelings of happiness and joy as we headed back to the ship. National Geographic Endurance is now slowly disappearing in the thick mist, leaving the Falkland Islands behind her, and giving us a moment to reflect on all that we’ve seen on this epic journey to some of the most remote areas of our world, from the frozen continent of Antarctica to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. For some of us, including myself, it was the first time we have ventured this far south, and the voyage left all of us with a deep, awe-inspiring impression of this magnificent yet fragile world.
We woke up in the Drake Passage headed north to our destination, Ushuaia, where our amazing adventure would come to an end. As a farewell treat, teatime featured Swedish pancakes with a variety of toppings, which we enjoyed on calm seas and under sunny skies as we sailed toward Cape Horn. Between disembarkation briefings, we enjoyed staff presentations. For example, National Geographic photographer Camille Seaman showed her favorite images from this journey. Many of us contributed our five best images to the Guest Slideshow, which premiered during evening cocktails. Afterward, Captain Yuri introduced our hard-working crew, who received a rousing round of applause. Our final dinner together was accompanied by a gorgeous sunset, which capped our special time together on National Geographic Explorer .
