People come to Antarctica for so many things—the lure of penguins, the hope to see humpback whales feeding in chorus, and of course the sculptures of ice. What you hope for though, is the unexpected, the rare, and the unbelievable. Today began with a landing at Petermann Island that had our guests surrounded by penguins once again, but the afternoon had us heading south toward one of the most magnificent events to witness in the Southern Ocean. A pod of killer whales chose to target a lone crabeater seal upon the ice, and with deft manoeuvres and coordinated attack they made multiple attempts to wash the seal from the ice. Though they successfully stole it from its perch over a dozen times, the seal was determined to remain among the living – leaping out of the water again and again to avoid the hungry mouths of the largest dolphin on our planet. And just when the crabeater seemed exhausted, and the killer whales rounded for the final assault—the seal managed to slip away, leaving the whales to scatter in search of the meal that got away.
3/12/2025
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea towards Ushuaia
It was a day for reflection. Our journey was coming to an end as we left the Falklands behind and National Geographic Endurance steamed towards South America and Ushuaia. The seas were kind to us, and despite low winds, we had black-browed albatross, among other birds, around us. In the morning, we listened to the naturalists onboard as they presented on different subjects in the ice lounge. Land-ho! Mid-morning we had land in sight, South America was appearing on the horizon. Upon entering the Beagle Channel, we saw possibly a hundred sei whales. While the seabirds were waiting for the wind on the surface, the whales were feeding a short distance from the ship. As our vessel waited for the pilot to arrive, we could still see whale blows in the distance. We enjoyed a teatime extravaganza with Chef Sara and her team. Cheese and wine brought most of the ship’s inhabitants to deck 8, and while sipping wine we watched sea lions, dolphins, and stunning views of Tierra del Fuego go by until it was time for Captain Aaron’s farewell toast. As much as we are reflecting on our expedition today, it has also been a day of celebration! It has been an incredible journey of many miles, great people, and wonderful experiences. Thank you all!









