Eager passengers aboard National Geographic Explorer began to view the hints of the Antarctic Peninsula that approached in the form of large, beautiful icebergs floating into the Drake Passage. Seabirds of all varieties followed the ship along as the waves began to calm and the winds died down. Onboard presentations from the natural history staff about Antarctic history, whale evolution, and geology helped keep people engaged as the ship sailed further south than it has all season, eventually crossing into the Antarctic Circle, a rare treat that not all Antarctic explorers get to experience.