King George Island and Penguin Island, 2/10/2024, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
Today, we awoke at King George Island, where we delighted in views of Base Presidente Frei, the Chilean station, and Bellingshausen, the Russian station. Bellingshausen Station houses Trinity Church, one of eight churches in Antarctica and the permanently staffed, southernmost Eastern Orthodox church in the world. It was truly delightful to see such an amazing place.
In the afternoon, we explored Penguin Island, where we had the opportunity to get up close with some of the penguins of Antarctica, along with other legendary animals that inhabit this icy continent.
Javier 's passion for birds and nature began as a child exploring the Pyrenees mountains with his father. The mystery that surrounds the Lammergeier silhouette triggered his curiosity and interest towards wildlife. Javier studied biology in Spain and...
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Early this morning, there was an amazing sunrise over the distant mountains. Eventually when the ship awoke many hours later, we found ourselves parked in the fast ice of Marguerite Bay in Bourgeois Fjord. Shortly after breakfast, we disembarked the “penguin doors” and stepped out directly onto the fast ice. Some took off cross country skiing and others explored on foot. There were many crab eater seals around, perhaps as many as 200, in a variety of groups. It was a spectacular morning with almost no wind and blue skies. After a productive morning, the hotel department treated us to a barbecue lunch and a doughnut bar which some guests chose to eat on the outer decks of the ship, enjoying the amazing scenery. In the afternoon, we made a landing on the rocky terrain of Horseshoe Island to visit British Base Y which was established in 1955 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. In the evening, as we sailed north through Marguerite Bay, we enjoyed amazing scenery and after dinner we explored a narrow and scenic passage called The Gullet. It was a most memorable, enjoyable, and adventurous day here in Antarctica, and we’re all looking forward to tomorrow.
After 36 hours crossing the infamous Drake Passage, the sight of land this morning brought a wave of excitement. The South Shetland Islands appeared on the horizon, promising our first steps into the wonders of Antarctica. Our morning landing at Barrientos Island was unforgettable. Chinstrap and gentoo penguins surrounded us, their curious waddles and lively calls filling the crisp air. The adventure continued back on board National Geographic Endurance with Photo Instructor Fiona who presented a dynamic smartphone photography workshop. In the afternoon, Eric Guth’s fascinating lecture on the life history of snowflakes made us marvel at the intricate beauty and importance of ice, while Maya Santangelo’s presentation, “The Secret Life of Krill”, underscored the delicate balance of this extraordinary ecosystem. In between the presentations, we all found ourselves captivated by the giant icebergs as we made our way through the Antarctic Sound. The day culminated in a breathtaking evening Zodiac cruise as the sun began to set, followed by a short landing at Brown Bluff. As we stood on the Antarctic mainland for the first time, we were greeted by our third penguin species of the day, the curious Adelie’s.
*KRCRUNCH* Such were the sounds as we punched our ticket south through the sea ice west of Adelaide Island. With a tempting sea state, glorious weather, and the incredible capabilities of National Geographic Resolution , by midday we found ourselves truly alone in a sea of ice, the only representatives of humanity for many, many miles. We made way through the loosening winter’s sea ice, and it seemed that our plans had received an official Antarctic seal of approval—five in fact! By day’s end we completed the rare Southern Ocean seal BINGO: crabeater, leopard, Weddel, elephant, and A ROSS SEAL—one of the few ever seen on the Antarctic Peninsula, and a first for many expedition staff with decades under their sea ice belts. By early afternoon we arrived at the spectacularly vertiginous Jenny Island, named for the wife of Commandant Charcot’s sub-lieutenant Maurice Bongrain. There we cruised and strolled among the Antarctic shags, Adelie penguins and southern elephant seals hauled out to molt into a new paintjob like so many submarines in shipyard. Defrosted and refueled ourselves, we look now for a spot to slow down for the evening. Ah, this fast ice could well do! Onward!
