Our first full day in the Weddell Sea can be best described by sunshine, fast ice, and emperor penguins! We were surrounded by fast ice, indeed wedged into it, and the emperor penguins were our constant companions until darkness finally fell. From just after 06:00AM the emperor penguins were the stars of the show! We watched them from the ship, we watched them from the Zodiacs, we walked among them on the fast ice, and indeed the sun set on them a little after 10:30PM. An amazing day, to be remembered for many years to come.
11/21/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea towards Ushuaia
After a memorable week exploring Antarctica, it was time to head back home towards Ushuaia. Our day in the Drake Passage was a pleasant one, with the seas staying relatively mild with the wind and swell from the northwest. We were treated to numerous presentations throughout the day from our excellent expedition staff. Eric kicked things off after breakfast with stories about ice before Justin shared his amazing experiences filming under frozen lakes on the Antarctic Continent. Following another wonderful lunch from the galley team, we enjoyed some birdlife outside and brief sightings of passing fin whales. Fi was next on the agenda, sharing some tips and tricks for sorting and editing our many photos from the trip. Teatime was a delight today with Swedish pancakes on the menu, and after a good feed, we enjoyed Josh’s talk on the Belgian Antarctic Expedition. Before we all retired to our cabins after dinner, there was one final lecture, with Captain Oliver sharing some tales about the construction of the ship and how it can navigate in these challenging, polar environments so comfortably and successfully.
