Ahoy from the Drake! This is day two of our crossing of the Drake Passage. All are in good spirits as crossing the Drake is part of the experience of journeying to Antarctica. By afternoon, the seas calmed to a gentle roll. It was quite pleasant. Guests were briefed on a myriad of subjects from Zodiac safety to biosecurity protocols. We are headed to visit the most pristine and untouched wilderness on the planet. Protecting this place is at the top of everyone’s list. Guests enjoyed educational talks by a few of our expert staff members. Vigilant guests spotted a few humpback whales and over five wandering albatrosses! We closed the day by crossing into the Antarctic Circle, a dream come true for many guests on board National Geographic Endurance. Tomorrow will be our first opportunity to land in Antarctica. The excitement is palpable.
1/6/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Gerlache Strait, Chiriguano Bay, and Lemaire Channel
We awoke traveling south in Gerlache Strait on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula after amazing days in the Weddell Sea with emperor penguins and tabular icebergs. We passed krill fishing vessels and humpback whales targeting the same prey. Young guests from our Global Explorers kids’ education program were treated to a tour of our Zodiac garage by Staff Captain Sam and Bosun Rocky. Some Global Explorers paused to share impressions of our voyage so far: “I expected it to be a lot colder.” Billy, 11 “I love seeing all the animals and how they act in the wild.” Emery, 10 “I saw some killer whales and it was really cool how big they were.” Nate, 9 “The penguins were walking faster than I expected.” Lukas, 6 “I didn’t expect that emperor penguins were my height. They’re kind of giants to me.” Violet, 9 “My favorite part was the polar plunge. I wish I could do it again.” Harvey, 10 This afternoon, after enjoying great views of humpback whales, we did Zodiac cruises in Chiriguano Bay on Brabant Island. Dinner was delayed to observe killer whales near the ship and we transited beautiful Lemaire Channel later in the evening.
