Early in the morning, heavy clouds covered the mountains and fjords when the sun tried to come through, creating an incendiary red-orange-yellow atmosphere. Most of the morning was decidedly wet. Winds from the southwest Pacific, charged with moisture picked up from the ocean, crash against the Andes and discharge all their might. Luxurious forests and glaciers can exist in these latitudes due to the weather systems. We found a number of seabirds and whales during the day as we navigated through one of the first protected marine areas of southern South América. We made our way to Puerto Natales, which will be our port of call for our visit to the world famous Torres del Paine National Park.
3/17/2023
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National Geographic Endurance
Seno Martinez and Seno Agostini, Chile
We woke up to a typical overcast and rainy day in Patagonia, Chile. Yet, the glacier carved fjords, Nothafagus beech forest, and waterfalls make every day in Patagonia one to cherish. We started the morning in a small bay in Seno Martinez where we took advantage of the low winds to send out the kayaks for a calm paddle in the soft rain around the bay. Hugging close to the rocks provided us the chance to inspect blue mussels, barnacles, and limpets along with the various foliage and berries hanging over the water. Those who opted for a Zodiac cruise got to explore farther afield and even ran into a few Magellanic penguins. In the afternoon we cruised out of Seno Martinez and into Seno Agostini passing one glacier after another as we transited an exceptionally beautiful part of Patagonia. Arriving to a sheltered bay, the Patagonian wind increased, and the rain continued, however we were up for anything and got dressed in our waterproofs to Zodiac cruise. We splashed through the water hunting for birds, nosing into waterfalls, and getting a view of the Hyatt Glacier in the distance.