We sailed through the night into open ocean crossing from the east side of the peninsula’s Weddell Sea over to the west side of the peninsula. By lunch we were well on our way south along the west side and headed for the Lemaire Channel. On our way, we had some wonderful encounters with minke whales and a large pod of orcas. We had beautiful views and wonderful sunny weather all morning. Our afternoon was busy as we made a landing at Port Charcot on Booth Island, a nesting ground to all three of the penguin colonies commonly seen in this area—gentoo, Adélie, and chinstrap. The weather was mild and allowed for us to conclude our day with kayaking and an exhilarating polar plunge.
2/28/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Northbound Drake Passage, Cape Horn, and the Beagle Channel
This morning, we had a later start than usual after a late night enjoying the crew show. Our galley team gifted us with a fulfilling brunch. We then had a brilliant forum about climate change with the participation of our panel of experts onboard. Afterward, our expedition leader called us to the bow to see Cape Horn, which was only a few miles ahead. The good weather allowed us to have a smooth and fast crossing, allowing extra time to swing by Cape Horn, the most southern tip of the Americas. Over the PA system, Steven provided a very interesting description of the historical importance of this area, then Pablo read a beautiful poem, a memorial to the seaman lost at sea. We could see the monument in the distance, two metal sheets that depict an albatross in flight. During the afternoon, we enjoyed Madalena’s presentation about Women in Antarctica. This was an incredible voyage through the struggles and delays of allowing women to participate in science and logistics in Antarctica. We entered the Beagle Channel around 17:00 and we encountered black-browed albatrosses, cormorants, dolphins, and whales. On our final approach to the beautiful city of Ushuaia, we passed by Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and some of the seals that live in the Bridges Islands Archipelago.
