It was a stunning morning on the water as we cruised in Zodiacs around Cooper Bay. We were delighted to see huge icebergs looming in the distance and sunny blue skies. Our Zodiac cruise brought us to a macaroni and chinstrap penguin colony, while some were also lucky enough to have an encounter with a large female leopard seal, who swam curiously around the boats. In the afternoon, we came upon the largest king penguin colony on South Georgia at St. Andrews Bay, a colony first described in 1883 during the German International Polar Year Expedition.
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.