As we were taking full advantage of a “better than forecasted” crossing of the Drake, National Geographic Resolution arrived at Antarctica earlier than expected. We landed at Halfmoon Island for our first excursion of the voyage. After a fantastic hike, we were awarded amazing views of Livingston Island as the sun tried to peek out of the clouds between squalls of snow. Upon returning to the beach, we visited the penguin colony and were welcomed by all three brush-tailed penguins: chinstrap, gentoo, and even a visiting Adelie!
Once back on board after a lovely lunch, we had some time to ponder our morning experience. We had all our penguin questions answered by naturalist Eva Molin Westerholm following her presentation, “Penguins, License to Krill.”
In the evening, Captain Heidi Norling hosted a welcome cocktail party. What a fantastic introduction to Antarctica. We can’t wait to see what is in store!
