It was a stunning morning on the water as we cruised in Zodiacs around Cooper Bay. We were delighted to see huge icebergs looming in the distance and sunny blue skies. Our Zodiac cruise brought us to a macaroni and chinstrap penguin colony, while some were also lucky enough to have an encounter with a large female leopard seal, who swam curiously around the boats. In the afternoon, we came upon the largest king penguin colony on South Georgia at St. Andrews Bay, a colony first described in 1883 during the German International Polar Year Expedition.
10/23/2024
Read
National Geographic Endurance
At Sea and the Beagle Channel
The last day of an expedition is always a mix of feelings. There is the rush to pack and get last minute things done, combined with a cascade of emotions from all that has been experienced during a once in a lifetime journey. The sunrise was colorful, the seas calm, and seabirds dotted the skies around National Geographic Endurance. Throughout the day there were a number of presentations and during lunch we were able to enjoy the stunning mountains of Isla de los Estados off our port side. Teatime was a superb occasion! There was an impressive choice of cheeses, crackers, vegetable sticks, and jams all paired with a selection of wines. On our port side, a rainbow appeared over the gray seas. During dinner and throughout the evening, we sailed along the Beagle Channel and past the Bay of Good Success. It was from here that a 23-year-old man wrote in a letter home, “I have decided to dedicate myself to natural history and hope to make some small contribution to it.” His name was Charles Darwin.
