Today was a good day to explore our home for the next three weeks and get a feel for National Geographic Explorer. The seas were fairly calm and it was wonderful to spend time out on the deck learning all about the new seabirds that followed the ship. We saw giant petrels, cape petrels, a few black-browed albatross and other species. The back deck was busy with all the photographers burning lots of pixels trying to catch these beautiful birds as they swiftly flew by.
There were several presentations throughout the day. We first gathered to meet all the staff members and learn a little bit more about our trip from our fearless leader, Lisa Kelly. Then all the photographers gathered in the lounge for a session about getting to know their cameras. This trip we have a special digital video storytelling workshop taught by Emmy-wining filmmaker David Wright and National Geographic photographer Cotton Coulson.
Later in the afternoon we had a chance to learn more about the Southern Ocean—the driving force of the entire ecosystem in this part of the world—from naturalist Steve Maclean. After our first delicious teatime, naturalist Karen Copeland gave an excellent presentation to prepare us for our time in the Falkland Islands. Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure in the West Falklands!
