The National Geographic Explorer crossed Drake Passage today with beautiful blue waves passing by. The sun shined the whole day during the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere.
After lunch, guests assembled on the sundeck to get a lesson on photographing flying sea birds and viewing them through binoculars. We watched albatrosses and petrels as they soared behind the ship. Using charts and reference books, naturalists demonstrated how to identify bird species, such as the southern giant petrel, cape petrel, and the largest seabird of them all, the wandering albatross.
Throughout the day, naturalists Joe Holliday and Gabriela Roldan met with the Young Explorers, guests under 18. They had a ship tour and started daily journals. There was also a special session on oceanography, where our young guests learned about ocean currents and waves. They graphed the amazing Antarctic Convergence, which marked the beginning of the cold Antarctic waters.
Later in the afternoon, naturalist Rodolfo Werner gave a presentation on krill ecology and the relationship of krill to penguins. During the recap, we learned about chinstrap penguins in preparation for visiting Antarctica. We also heard about the political history of Antarctica that resulted in the longstanding international agreement that protects Antarctica’s environment and natural resources.
