Blue skies, relatively calm seas, and an abundance of seabirds beckoned us on deck today as we steamed due south towards the western Antarctic Peninsula. It was surprising to see our first iceberg before entering the cold seas of the Southern Ocean. The towering berg partially collapsed before our eyes, creating a huge splash as we watched seabirds from the aft deck. Several brief snow showers descended on us as we approached the colder waters of the Southern Ocean at around 60 degrees south; the sea temperature dropped from 4.5 to 2 degrees Celsius. Now we are truly in the Southern Ocean! From Naturalist Doug Gualtieri, we learned about the seabirds that call this unforgiving environment their home. It was superb to be graced by the very species that he was talking about. Our species tally for the day was ten petrel and five albatross species.
1/19/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
The Drake Passage
As we navigated north across the Drake Passage, conditions gradually improved and blue petrels and black-browed albatrosses graced our journey as visitors. John Pailthorpe delivered a captivating retelling of Shackleton's attempted crossing of the Antarctic continent, recounting the trials faced by those rugged men who cared little for comfort yet had a penchant for taking mortal risks. Following him, National Geographic Photographer Ralph Lee Hopkins shared some of the many future exploration options available to our guests through National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. As we approached Tierra del Fuego, the seas calmed. Although the skies remained overcast, wildlife became increasingly abundant as we neared the entrance to the Beagle Channel. Captain Martin presented a fascinating overview of the construction of MV National Geographic Resolution and her impressive capabilities. As we entered the channel, we were greeted by hourglass and dusky dolphins while enjoying empanadas for teatime. Once we entered the Beagle, sailing was smooth all the way to Ushuaia.
