This morning found National Geographic Resolution cutting through the fog and pushing south toward the South Shetland Islands. As breakfast ended, the fog lifted, and Barrientos Island appeared in front of the ship! With much excitement, everyone donned their boots and parkas and went ashore to set foot on the islands of Antarctica. Penguins and elephant seals waited to greet the new visitors. Humans and animals alike showed their curiosity. While it seemed all too short, the trip ashore ended with anticipation of an afternoon Zodiac cruise. At the end of lunch, eight black Zodiacs dotted with orange clad photographers circled Edinburgh Hill, a stunning presentation of lava frozen in time. With the adventures complete for the day, all the new Antarctic explorers retreated to the ship for cold drinks and warm food. What a day!
12/22/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Drake Passage
There’s nothing quite like a wake to the “Drake Lake.” Bright skies, calm seas, and refreshing winds welcomed us to our journey’s jolly jaunt into the fabled gateway to the Antarctic. As National Geographic Resolution’s surroundings streamed past in crisp, high-seas definition, we used our sea day to prepare for tomorrow’s first landings beyond the Antarctic Convergence: Zodiac briefings, decontamination parties, and presentations galore filled our memory banks as we enjoyed this gift of a crossing from the sea gods. Plentiful seabirds joined the procession. Great albatrosses followed closely astern as Antarctic prions and Cape petrels zoomed about in our slipstream, all phylogenetic and ecological neighbors to yesterday’s Magellanic penguins spotted in the Beagle Channel, just before two sei whales pushed back bedtime by a whale of a margin. “Blows, big blows up ahead!” came the call from the Bridge, when, in the midafternoon, we came upon a group of lazy fin whales, casually cruising by as the second largest organisms to have ever lived on Earth. With our souls full from this small appetizer of the richness of the world to the south, Captain Martin welcomed us all to the adventures ahead. Tomorrow, the South Shetlands—onward!
