For many people, Gold Harbour is one of the most incredible wildlife destinations on the planet. This morning, we boarded Zodiacs in the dark and headed to the beach at 4:30 a.m. We were met with low clouds and rain—our hopes of a sunrise dashed. But we made the most of the moody sky and magnificent wildlife around us. The beach was covered with elephant seal pups. When taking a moment to sit on the wet sand, one was quickly inundated by penguins and seals. The morning cloud was just the start of a weather system moving across the Scotia Sea. With high winds predicted to head our way, National Geographic Explorer sailed southwest for Antarctica.