As National Geographic Resolution cruised through Marguerite Bay early this morning, an attempt was made to land at Red Rock Ridge to visit an Adelie penguin colony. Staff departed before breakfast in a Zodiac to brave the large waves and icebergs looming around the ship. After searching for a safe landing site, the staff concluded that conditions would not allow a safe landing. Plan B was set in motion. By the end of breakfast, National Geographic Resolution reached our second location, the historic site and monument of Stonington, Base E (a British Antarctic survey hut). After an amazing breakfast with stunning views of the surrounding glaciers, we departed for the shores of Stonington Island. Upon landing, guests explored the interior of the British hut and caught glimpses of the U.S. East Base, the oldest American base in Antarctica. The British hut was closed in 1975, and many of the contents were removed. However, it remains true to the era and was restored as a historical site. During the height of its use, the UK base often cooperated with the U.S. base to provide sledging support to the American aerial survey. A solitary cross sits upon a rocky outcropping on the far end of the island, a tribute to the death of two men who died in a storm while sledging in 1966. After exploring the island, guests departed for the ship for an afternoon of cruising and talks by on-board naturalists. Shortly after lunch, one of the largest icebergs seen this voyage (taller than National Geographic Resolution) swept past the ship. As the evening came to an end, naturalists presented their daily recaps and guests relaxed as we cruised north.
1/28/2023
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National Geographic Resolution
The Drake Passage and the Beagle Channel
The sun came out by 07:00 this morning and stayed with us all the way into Ushuaia. In the morning, we had two presentations. One covered the South Pole, and the other was on the early Antarctic explorers. After lunch, we had a wonderful display by sei whales in the Beagle Channel. Shortly after, our two divers demonstrated the underwater ROV and the cold-water dive equipment. In the evening, we attended the Captain’s Farewell in the Ice Lounge and auctioned the trip flag. The Beagle Channel was named for the HMS Beagle . The channel is south of the Strait of Magellan, and it is the last cut off for ships rounding South America to avoid the Drake Passage. It was named during the first voyage of the HMS Beagle around 1827. It was on the second voyage of the HMS Beagle that a naturalist named Charles Darwin was brought along. Darwin and the HMS Beagle spent months in the channel. In addition to his observations in the Galapagos, many of Darwin’s observations in this area led to his Theory of Evolution. The HMS Beagle was sent with 22 chronometers to fine tune the latitude of critical points around the world. Captain Robert Fitzroy was not funded by the British Navy to have a naturalist aboard, but he hired Darwin with his own money because he felt it was important. That decision was critical in how we now look at the natural world around us.
