Today, we sailed by an ice floe covered in fluffy emperor chicks before the clock hit 7:00 am. We were able to get even closer via Zodiacs and cruised around observing the elusive chicks. Everyone had a chance to feel what it’s like to be a penguin during the beloved polar plunge into subfreezing water. Our hotel department put on a barbecue on the 8th deck, and we dined beneath the Antarctic sun. Guests enjoyed kayaking amongst icebergs in the afternoon, and we ended the day by finding the massive 3,000+ emperor penguin colony while back aboard National Geographic Resolution after dinner. What a day!
12/5/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Marguerite Bay, Antarctica
Early this morning, there was an amazing sunrise over the distant mountains. Eventually when the ship awoke many hours later, we found ourselves parked in the fast ice of Marguerite Bay in Bourgeois Fjord. Shortly after breakfast, we disembarked the “penguin doors” and stepped out directly onto the fast ice. Some took off cross country skiing and others explored on foot. There were many crab eater seals around, perhaps as many as 200, in a variety of groups. It was a spectacular morning with almost no wind and blue skies. After a productive morning, the hotel department treated us to a barbecue lunch and a doughnut bar which some guests chose to eat on the outer decks of the ship, enjoying the amazing scenery. In the afternoon, we made a landing on the rocky terrain of Horseshoe Island to visit British Base Y which was established in 1955 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. In the evening, as we sailed north through Marguerite Bay, we enjoyed amazing scenery and after dinner we explored a narrow and scenic passage called The Gullet. It was a most memorable, enjoyable, and adventurous day here in Antarctica, and we’re all looking forward to tomorrow.
