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.
3/14/2023
Read
National Geographic Endurance
At Sea, Towards Ushuaia
National Geographic Endurance set sail from the western edge of the Falkland Islands late last night. There was a slightly overcast sky when we entered the Beagle Channel in the morning. For the last miles to Ushuaia, we had stunning views of the most southern part of South America. Birds glided and whales swam alongside the vessel. We enjoyed several educational presentations, and there was time for packing luggage and getting souvenirs for friends and family from the Global Gallery. It was a perfect day to enjoy relaxing aboard the ship and making use of the spa, gym, and wellness facilities. The afternoon was filled with the third part of National Geographic photographer Michael Melford’s presentation, “On Assignment with National Geographic.” We enjoyed the famous Guest Slideshow, where we saw photos taken by our fellow travelers during our voyage to some of the most spectacular and densely-populated wildlife regions on our planet. In the evening, we enjoyed delicious drinks and nibbles during the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party in the Ice Lounge, which rounded out this hard to summarize expedition of National Geographic Endurance to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. It is a trip we will surely never forget.