This morning, we were woken up at 5:00 a.m. Over the intercom, our expedition leader’s calm voice let us know that over thirty killer whales were surfacing around the boat. Weary-eyed and full of wonder, we all watched in the absolute stillness of the morning as over five groups of killer whales hunted and frolicked around the bay. Some chased penguins, and others seemed to be enjoying family time with their youngsters. After breakfast, we went ashore on Devil Island to enjoy an Adelie penguin colony amidst the bergs. Some of us hiked up the ridgeline, and some of us stayed along the beach. We were all treated to lots of calving icebergs as the tide continued to lower throughout our morning operations. In the afternoon, we set foot on the peninsula proper and explored Bald Head. Many Weddell seals and gentoo penguins frolicked on the beach while we hiked over the hill to the overlook. Along the hike, we found two mummified seal carcasses and stopped to admire their amazing teeth, which have adapted for eating krill.
3/17/2023
Read
National Geographic Resolution
Bernal Glacier and Kirke Narrows
Arriving at Bernal Glacier early morning, guests and staff completed a most scenic walk to observe its snout and the terminal moraine that extend towards the waters in which National Geographic Resolution was positioned. The glacier is located within the Campos de Hielo which is part of a larger ice- covered area in Magellan Patagonia. Access to the glacier snout is made possible using a path that allows visitors to walk through low vegetation and onto the terminal moraine that consists of a wide assortment of boulders, gravels, and sand that were deposited when the glacier no longer could carry their load. At this point on the walk, unobstructed views of the glacier gave us an opportunity to witness its ever-diminishing size, both in length and width, when compared with our photographs taken over the last few years. Still, its beauty remains, and the enormity of glacial power and erosional forces firmly impresses all those who enjoyed the landing this morning. Following lunch, National Geographic Resolution navigated the Kirke Narrows. Always an exciting part of a Patagonia voyage, the bridge team took us through the narrows at slack tide and perfectly timed the navigation through the narrowest part of the canal which is 426 feet. Once through the narrows, we continued to Puerto Natales in anticipation of disembarkation tomorrow. This ten-day trip of Patagonia and Staten Island has been remarkable during which majestic landscapes and a wide range of wildlife was observed.