A parade of icebergs signaled that our crossing of the Drake Passage was coming to an end, and we were soon in sight of the White Continent. The majestic icebergs transitioned into towering, dramatic walls as we entered the Lemaire Channel, where we had to do a double-take: it looked like our reflection could be seen on the horizon. In the narrows of the channel, our captain skillfully maneuvered us bow-to-bow with our sister ship, National Geographic Endurance. It was a great opportunity to get a photograph of how the ship looks from the other side!
Many on board checked off several firsts this afternoon: first footstep on Antarctica, first penguins (both gentoo and Adelie), and for some, the first Zodiac cruise. Petermann Island has a long history of exploration, and it’s hard not to conjure up images of past explorers who walked these same frozen grounds over the decades. Sunshine added a glistening icing to the icebergs on a great second day of our Antarctic expedition.
