Waking up to blue skies and humpback whales, we commenced our morning operations at Spert Island. On the agenda was a Zodiac cruise weaving through the narrow channels that run through the tall basalt cliffs. On return to National Geographic Resolution, the hotel team provided everyone with a surprise BBQ on deck eight, which we all enjoyed while watching humpback whales feeding around us. We then detoured slightly to Deception Island on our way over to the Weddell Sea.
12/4/2024
Read
National Geographic Resolution
Marguerite Bay and Jenny Island
*KRCRUNCH* Such were the sounds as we punched our ticket south through the sea ice west of Adelaide Island. With a tempting sea state, glorious weather, and the incredible capabilities of National Geographic Resolution , by midday we found ourselves truly alone in a sea of ice, the only representatives of humanity for many, many miles. We made way through the loosening winter’s sea ice, and it seemed that our plans had received an official Antarctic seal of approval—five in fact! By day’s end we completed the rare Southern Ocean seal BINGO: crabeater, leopard, Weddel, elephant, and A ROSS SEAL—one of the few ever seen on the Antarctic Peninsula, and a first for many expedition staff with decades under their sea ice belts. By early afternoon we arrived at the spectacularly vertiginous Jenny Island, named for the wife of Commandant Charcot’s sub-lieutenant Maurice Bongrain. There we cruised and strolled among the Antarctic shags, Adelie penguins and southern elephant seals hauled out to molt into a new paintjob like so many submarines in shipyard. Defrosted and refueled ourselves, we look now for a spot to slow down for the evening. Ah, this fast ice could well do! Onward!
