This evening, we found ourselves at 60 degrees south, crossing the internationally recognized geographic boundary into the Southern Ocean and the waters that define the Antarctic continent. Aside from lines on a nautical chart, this transition is marked by the presence of the largest, most traveled, and “longest lived” seabirds on the planet. These birds glide along the edges of the air masses that hover above the fringes of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Beyond the birds hangs a thick fog. Cold air above near-freezing Antarctic waters condenses as it meets warmer Atlantic and Pacific waters along the strong sea surface temperature gradient known as the Antarctic Convergence zone. We have spent the day orienting ourselves to the vessel and getting to know our expedition team and fellow travelers. We have also learned from expedition staff about how to make the most of our journey–from photography tips presented by onboard Certified Photo Instructors and a visiting National Geographic photographer to seabird spotting and identification guidance from naturalists. Embarking on the last voyage that National Geographic Resolution will take in 2022 is also cause for reflection on what the past year has meant for Antarctica and for each other. It is with great enthusiasm that we ring in the New Year with a Captain’s welcome party, complete with sea shanties and festive attire as we look forward to learning more together and appreciating the moments we will share on this epic adventure to explore the wildest place on Earth!
2/2/2023
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National Geographic Explorer
Cierva Cove and Portal Point
While Zodiac cruising around Cierva Cove today, we met a well-traveled whale. So well-traveled, in fact, that it has been spotted four times near three continents since 2007. How do we know this information? Thanks to a website called Happywhale.com that conglomerates whale photographs. Whales have tail fins, or flukes, that act as individual fingerprints thanks to each whale’s unique scars and color patterns. When all these fluke photos come together on Happywhale.com, the whales can be identified and tracked. After uploading a photograph taken in Cierva Cove today, we discovered that our whale’s ID number is PAN-1172. It was first spotted in Ecuador in 2007. Since then, it has been seen in Colombia, Panama, and, as of today, Antarctica. While viewing PAN-1172, we were visited by a group of “Vikings” delivering hot cocoa. Some weather set in that affected our afternoon plans. Nonetheless, we enjoyed motoring through the Graham Passage on National Geographic Explorer . During the later evening hours, we touched the mainland of continental Antarctica at Portal Point. Our previous landings were on Antarctic islands. We made a quick stop as we had ventured out after dinner to make the jaunt happen.
