Saunders Island (Falkland Islands) greeted us with a moody cape of fog that soon fizzled away. The rest of our morning was full of blue skies, azure-blue seas, and a gentle, mild breeze. We saw four species of penguins and surfing Commerson’s dolphins. We spent the afternoon visiting the world’s largest black-browed albatross colony on the remote island with a challenging landing area: Steeple Jason Island. It was a superb day of birding, hiking, and beachcombing!
11/9/2022
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea Towards Ushuaia
After nearly 4,000 nautical miles together–from sunny days on Argentinian estancias to snow showers in South Georgia to the white sand beaches of the Falklands–our three-week expedition comes to a close. Well-worn muck boots and trekking poles were cleaned for a final time and returned today, and carefully selected photos of favorite moments and new friends were submitted to the voyage slideshow. Once home, orange polar parkas will emerge from our luggage, carrying the scents and salt of the Southern Ocean. National Geographic photographer Todd Gipstein shared his approach to curating travel stories, and the natural history team provided a few last short presentations. We knew Ushuaia was just around the corner when the pilot boat came alongside National Geographic Endurance in the late afternoon, though sailing down the Beagle Channel reminded us that there are endless new and stunning locations to be visited if we take the time. During Captain Aaron Wood’s Farewell Cocktail Party, he introduced members of the ship’s crew so we could express our appreciation for their continuous hard work and cheerful energy. We reminisced about the voyage and planned future travels during our traditional Argentinian Asado feast, a fitting close to our journey along coastal South America and across the Southwest Atlantic.
