We awoke to calm seas on the first morning of our expedition in the Southern Ocean in the Scotia Sea. This is our first sea day as we make our way to South Georgia, and we were treated to great views of many seabirds, including wandering, royal, and black-browed albatrosses, southern and northern giant petrels, sooty and great shearwaters, and rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, as well as several other species. A highlight of our day was sighting and viewing a southern right whale, spotted by Captain Oliver. This whale is distinguished by a V-shaped blow, callosities on its head, the lack of a dorsal fin, and a smooth back and fluke, all of which we were able to see easily. During the day, we had interesting presentations about seabirds, photography, and cetaceans. Our evening concluded with our Captain’s Welcome Cocktails.
3/13/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea Towards the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia
A gently swaying National Geographic Endurance greeted the day. The wind and waves that our guests had become accustomed to during this voyage were nowhere in sight. Instead, a light breeze and calm seas lifted our spirits as we prepared for our final day on the ship. Sei whales, albatross, and dolphins welcomed us into the Beagle Channel before long. In between packing and reclaiming our passports, several presentations were given with a wide range of topics. First up, our undersea team shared footage from several dives in the Falklands, including a notable visit from some rather playful southern sea lions. Secondly, our National Geographic photographer spoke about photography and how it can be used to inspire conversation about wild places. Wrapping up our presentations for the day was our guest speaker, Mensun Bound, who provided a loose Q&A session on Shackleton. Captain Oliver and Expedition Leader Russ shared a few words about our epic voyage and sent us off to dinner. A day full of education and sightseeing – a great way to say farewell to our incredible guests.