The excitement on board yesterday evening was palpable as we departed Ushuaia and sailed eastward out the Beagle Channel, on our way south to Antarctica.
For so many here, this is a trip of a lifetime, something they have aspired to do for years or even decades. However, for many, there was also a tremor of nervousness…what might the infamous Drake Passage have in store for us? But our night was peaceful. We awoke to calm conditions, with a low glassy swell undulating under a muted mackerel-skin sky. Those who were on deck spotting wildlife identified several species of albatross, and fin whales surfaced at our port side over dinner.
I popped up to the bridge several times during the day to monitor our surface sea temperatures. The water temperature dropped very abruptly at 3 pm, from well over 39°F to 34°F, indicating that we had just crossed the Antarctic Convergence.
We are now travelling through the Southern Ocean. We are now in Antarctic waters.
We will continue sailing southward under the peachy skies of Antarctic night and anticipate making our first landing tomorrow!
