Today we had dark skies and a bit of a drizzle but no wind at all—just the right weather for our adventures in Admiralty Sound. We made a very early arrival to the head of Jackson Bay in Karukinka Natural Park, where we were surrounded by the echoing vocalizations of the elephant seals bouncing off the walls of this deep fjord. Later in the morning we visited Albatross Island, the only ‘inland’ albatross colony in the world, to check on the chicks. They’re almost ready to leave their nests; it’s been a successful season which is an incredible feat, in no small proportion due to the care and efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Finally, a rainy afternoon saw as wandering through a magical forest full of birds, lichens, moss, mushrooms, and evergreen trees.
3/28/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Isla de los Estada, Ushuaia
We entered Bahia Capitan Canepa where the mountains were rounded over by ancient glacial grinding and the valleys had begun to fill in with nothofagus trees and many of the ferns, mosses, and lichens familiar to the rest of this region. Waterfalls were found around every corner, and both sea lions and fur seals were scattered about, playing in the cool water. Some places felt like scenes from Jurassic Park with waterfalls turning to showers before they hit the seawater below, while the wind fiercely blew the scattering droplets about. The rain was steady, but moods were bright as we encountered shags and oystercatchers along the shores of this magical place. Showers cleared by the afternoon while we made our way west to Ushuaia on the final leg of this voyage. The Beagle Channel always feels different depending on what direction we are traveling. At the beginning it is wonderous and full of mystery, but the return trip always feels sad as we prepare to disembark and bid farewell to our newly made friends. This part of the voyage is fun for spotting whales and Magellanic penguins, but we all know it is short for time. By 2130 dinner ended and National Geographic Endurance’s bow thrusters and Azipods were driving us to the pier for our final berthing of this incredible voyage.
