Drake Passage, 11/27/2022, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
Most everyone enjoyed sleeping in this morning as we softly rolled with the motion of the ocean. This day at sea offered us time to rest, work on the amazing photographs taken on the voyage, and spend time with new friends.
In the first presentation of the day, naturalist Eric Guth explained how he fell in love with the ice and got his start with Lindblad Expeditions. In the afternoon, Jonny Reid gave a talk on acoustics in marine mammals. Jamie Coleman gave the final presentation on threats to shorebirds and the ocean ecosystem on which they depend.
Occasionally, waves of the Drake Passage sloshed onto the bow and sides of the ship, but the Lounge, located in the aft of the ship, was relatively stable and, fortunately, most of us had acquired our “sea legs.”
I like to remind people that there are very few big surprises left in life, but if you are out in nature, with an open mind and a lot of time, you never know what you will find.
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We approached the Beagle Channel on our final day on board National Geographic Explorer . The winds had calmed, and the sun was shining. This resulted in the perfect opportunity to spot sei whales, which are often found in the waters of the Beagle Channel. Naturalist Sophie Van Der Hart provided us with the first lecture of the day, sharing insights about the evolution of whales. We learned how whales truly became the giants of our oceans. After lunch, climate change in the Antarctic was the topic for discussion. Naturalist Zac Brown guided us through the impacts this pristine environment is facing due to a rapidly changing climate and the things we can do to help. The afternoon’s activities came to a close with a delightful tea prepared by the hotel team. The captain’s farewell cocktail party gave us the chance to reflect on the expedition with a premiere of the guest slideshow. We celebrated a fantastic exploration of the Southern Ocean as the photos in the slideshow reminded us of the amazing wildlife and scenery we have witnessed along the way. Cheers!
Today’s destination was the New Island group, a series of nine islands found in the southwest of the Falkland Islands. The largest of the group is New Island, surrounded by eight smaller islands. This group is monitored and managed by the Falkland Islands Conservation group, which is largely supported by tourism operations. Through continued protection, this wildlife haven has attracted large numbers of a variety of species, eventually leading to it being classified as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Fortunately, this is a stark contrast to the island’s early history of whaling and habitat destruction. After breakfast, guests departed for shore in Zodiacs, arriving on the white sandy beaches of New Island. We hiked a short distance across the island to access a large rockhopper penguin colony and a thriving black-browed albatross colony. Upon arrival, two macaroni penguins were discovered at the base of the colony. We enjoyed the sunshine and a little wind as we perused the colony and took in the cliffside views. After returning to the beach, guests visited a small museum and gift shop supported by New Islanders. The museum was originally erected on the site of a rough stone shelter built by a shipwrecked captain and his four crew members. Several ongoing scientific projects are underway on the island. The projects focus on several species, including gentoo penguins, white-chinned petrels, Falkland skuas, imperial cormorants, Upland geese, and striated caracaras. After leaving the island for lunch, National Geographic Explorer departed for Ushuaia. We enjoyed several afternoon presentations from the naturalists before the evening got underway.
Today we explored two of the most beautiful islands in the Falklands’ archipelago. West Point has a wonderful settlement and nice colonies of black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. Carcass has colonies of gentoo and Magellanic penguins. In Carcass, we also find the endemic and unique Cobb’s wren, which only inhabits rat-free islands. Plenty of other wildlife is found at these two wonderful sites. We had a wonderful teatime on Carcass. Interestingly, West Point has a deep connection to Lindblad Expeditions, as some of the ashes of Lars Eric Lindblad are scattered in a beautiful corner of the garden in West Point. Enter the garden, pass the house, go through the trees, and you will find a secluded grassy area with an oval-shaped area full of beautiful plants. This is the location. Certainly, a wonderful place to be for eternity. After wonderful wildlife sightings, cookies, winds, plants, and a spiritual connection to nature, we went ahead with our expedition.
