For the past thirty-six hours, the bridge team of National Geographic Explorer navigated the Drake Passage from Ushuaia, Argentina to Barrientos Island in the South Shetland Island group off the northwest tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We spent our morning learning about seabirds and glaciers on board, and in the afternoon, we made our first landing of the trip and finally set foot in Antarctica! Our guests were filled with delight as most saw their very first penguin colonies! The island is home to chinstrap and gentoo penguins, both of which had chicks, as well as southern giant petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills, and other birdlife. We even had a beautiful sunset at the end of the day as we sailed away from the island after Captain’s Welcome Dinner. What a fantastic and unforgettable day!
12/5/2024
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Marguerite Bay, Antarctica
Early this morning, there was an amazing sunrise over the distant mountains. Eventually when the ship awoke many hours later, we found ourselves parked in the fast ice of Marguerite Bay in Bourgeois Fjord. Shortly after breakfast, we disembarked the “penguin doors” and stepped out directly onto the fast ice. Some took off cross country skiing and others explored on foot. There were many crab eater seals around, perhaps as many as 200, in a variety of groups. It was a spectacular morning with almost no wind and blue skies. After a productive morning, the hotel department treated us to a barbecue lunch and a doughnut bar which some guests chose to eat on the outer decks of the ship, enjoying the amazing scenery. In the afternoon, we made a landing on the rocky terrain of Horseshoe Island to visit British Base Y which was established in 1955 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. In the evening, as we sailed north through Marguerite Bay, we enjoyed amazing scenery and after dinner we explored a narrow and scenic passage called The Gullet. It was a most memorable, enjoyable, and adventurous day here in Antarctica, and we’re all looking forward to tomorrow.
