Our fulfilling day began just before sunrise as we were readying our Zodiacs for an exploratory cruise in Musgrave Inlet on Auckland Island. Conditions were near flat-calm, a welcome reprieve from days past, as we set out to take in this magnificent sliver of shoreline. Striking columnar basalt cliffs comprise the shoreline, with the dense, lush Southern Rata Forest blanketing the landscape. Several magnificent sea caves can be taken in along the shoreline, as well as a myriad of nesting seabirds and terrestrial birds.
We positioned National Geographic Orion to the north where we were fortunate enough to be able to land on Enderby Island. Taking advantage of the lovely weather, we landed here with two main goals; first, to see the rare, endemic yellow-eyed penguin, and second, take in as much of the striking and wild beauty. One very ambitious group of guests managed to complete the Enderby Circuit hike, a rugged and stunning tromp along nearly eight miles of this island’s coast. The remainder of the guests enjoyed the well-maintained boardwalk trail across the island to a breathtaking viewpoint, encountering soaring southern royal albatross, flowering endemic plants and yes, the elusive yellow-eyed penguin.
