Port Charcot and Peterman Island, 11/24/2021, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Antarctica
After navigating the narrow Lamaire Channel last night, today the National Geographic Resolution explored farther south in the ice-choked waters along the Antarctic Peninsula. Every place we visit is historic or this amazing polar vessel on its inaugural voyage.
We began our day exploring an ice sculpture garden by Zodiac. Strong currents swirling around Booth Island strand large ice bergs in the shallow channels where they slowly melt and calve into artistic forms.
In the afternoon the ship and Zodiacs navigated through the ice for our landing on Peterman Island. Home to gentoo and Adelie penguins, it was fun to observe the antics of the penguins and explore the different scenic vantage points with the mountainous Antarctic Peninsula as a backdrop.
National Geographic photography expert Ralph Lee Hopkins is the founder and director of the Expedition Photography program for the Lindblad-National
Geographic alliance. For more than 20 years he has led expeditions from the Arctic to Antarctica and ...
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Any true voyage contains the element of return. As we approached South America, we reflected on our voyage thus far. Nearly three weeks ago, we cast our lines from Ushuaia and sailed towards the seventh continent. We saw corners of the world privy only to a few…truly special experiences that we will hold close for our lifetimes. Seabirds circled the ship, coming in and out of our wake to pay visits. These beautiful animals wander the ocean. They are at home at sea, an alien concept to us terrestrial animals. As the day progressed, the landscape began to unravel. Snowy peaks in the distance eventually gave way to a forested landscape, quite a shock as we had not seen proper trees in weeks! For our final wildlife encounter, we spent time with a group of killer whales. Our incredible ship and bridge team allowed close and personal views of these amazing animals. Aboard the ship, we hosted presentations with topics on photography and how to take observations from our voyage and share them with the scientific community. The hotel department pampered us with delicious treats. Our much-anticipated auction was a lively hit, raising money for our crew fund and conservation on South Georgia. In the afternoon, we met our pilots on the eastern edge of the Beagle Channel. Under their guidance, we will be dockside in a few hours, the same location we departed from three weeks ago. It feels like a lifetime has passed, bursting with countless memories. Memories we look forward to taking home with us and sharing with our loved ones and the world.
Happy International Women’s Day! Today also turned out to be Great Albatross Day in the Falklands. We woke up just off West Point Island, which lies off the most northwestern point of mainland West Falkland. After breakfast, we took a short shuttle ride to a sheltered harbour just below the settlement. Most guests chose to hike across the island to a large colony of black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. Those who wanted a less strenuous crossing took a Land Rover to the colony. Afterwards, the hosts at the settlement provided a very generous serving of tea and pastries in the main house. In the afternoon, National Geographic Resolution repositioned to the south side of Steeple Jason, an island holding the second largest black-browed albatross colony in the world. An estimated 200,000 pairs of the species breed here. There are also gentoo penguins and a small number of rockhopper penguins nesting on the island. About half of the guests went ashore for a hike to the albatross colony, and the rest opted for a Zodiac cruise. After dinner, we all gathered in the Ice Lounge to watch the Guest Slideshow. What an amazing bunch of memories from our epic trip in the Southern Ocean!
We approached the Beagle Channel on our final day on board National Geographic Explorer . The winds had calmed, and the sun was shining. This resulted in the perfect opportunity to spot sei whales, which are often found in the waters of the Beagle Channel. Naturalist Sophie Van Der Hart provided us with the first lecture of the day, sharing insights about the evolution of whales. We learned how whales truly became the giants of our oceans. After lunch, climate change in the Antarctic was the topic for discussion. Naturalist Zac Brown guided us through the impacts this pristine environment is facing due to a rapidly changing climate and the things we can do to help. The afternoon’s activities came to a close with a delightful tea prepared by the hotel team. The captain’s farewell cocktail party gave us the chance to reflect on the expedition with a premiere of the guest slideshow. We celebrated a fantastic exploration of the Southern Ocean as the photos in the slideshow reminded us of the amazing wildlife and scenery we have witnessed along the way. Cheers!