No more ice for us today! We left mainland Antarctica and made our way to the South Shetland Islands where wildlife and history awaited us. Our first stop was Snowy Island, full of ellies (aka southern elephant seals) and their pups, lichen and grasses, and the nesting sites of southern giant petrels. After enjoying the antics of the ellies, we made our way to Deception Island where we sailed into the heart of the caldera of an active volcano. Steam rose from the beach, enshrouding the remains of a whaling station in an aura of solemn mystery.
1/27/2023
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National Geographic Explorer
The Drake Passage
Today was quite busy with many interesting presentations. In the morning, geologist Serguei Ponomarenko spoke about the geological history of Antarctica. Before glaciation wiped out thousands of species of the animals and plants that used to be here, Antarctica was once connected to Australia, and much earlier, it was connected to Africa, Madagascar, India, and South America. Later, Gerard Baker spoke about conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean. After lunch, National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova instructed guests on live editing of photographs, an essential skill after a memorable trip. The last activity before dinner was an Antarctica quiz. In the late afternoon, National Geographic Explorer entered the Beagle Channel. Almost immediately, the wind subsided, and the sky cleared. Guests enjoyed the spectacular scenery on the Chilean and Argentinian sides of the channel. After dinner, the ship docked in Ushuaia, and guests had an opportunity to spend a few late evening hours in this most southern town in the world.
