Lemaire Channel, Pléneau Island and Hidden Bay, 2/12/2022, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica
Expedition leader Peter gave us an early wake-up call as National Geographic Explorer approached the northern entrance of Lemaire Channel this morning. This is one of the narrowest and most scenic passages in Antarctica. The sea was tranquil, and the sun was shining in a bright sky. What a treat to see this part of Antarctica under such conditions! Excited guests gathered on deck to enjoy the magnificent scenery, and frequent camera clicks proved that many guests wanted to capture this great moment.
After breakfast, the ship repositioned just off Pléneau Island, and a landing was offered. Gentoo penguins in a barren landscape of rock were the main attraction. Some guests chose to take a Zodiac cruise into a “graveyard” of stranded icebergs. They spotted a couple leopard seals, known as “the grizzly of the Antarctic,” and a crabeater seal.
During lunchtime, we cruised the Lemaire Channel northwards and stopped in Hidden Bay. Conditions seemed ideal for kayaking. A great number of guests took the opportunity to paddle, whereas others went for a Zodiac cruise. A sudden wind made it necessary to end the operation, and all kayakers returned safely to the ship.
We will now head toward the northern part of the peninsula. There is still much in store for us to see and learn. Stay tuned for another few days of exploration in this fabulous part of the largest wilderness on the planet.
Carl was born in Norway and received a master’s degree in forestry and nature conservation from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 1973. His professional experience is mainly connected to environmental issues and natural resource management...
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Today was quite busy with many interesting presentations. In the morning, geologist Serguei Ponomarenko spoke about the geological history of Antarctica. Before glaciation wiped out thousands of species of the animals and plants that used to be here, Antarctica was once connected to Australia, and much earlier, it was connected to Africa, Madagascar, India, and South America. Later, Gerard Baker spoke about conservation efforts in the Southern Ocean. After lunch, National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova instructed guests on live editing of photographs, an essential skill after a memorable trip. The last activity before dinner was an Antarctica quiz. In the late afternoon, National Geographic Explorer entered the Beagle Channel. Almost immediately, the wind subsided, and the sky cleared. Guests enjoyed the spectacular scenery on the Chilean and Argentinian sides of the channel. After dinner, the ship docked in Ushuaia, and guests had an opportunity to spend a few late evening hours in this most southern town in the world.
National Geographic Explorer left behind the beauty of the Weddell Sea and traveled through the night to the south of the Antarctic Peninsula to arrive at Neko Harbour this morning. Neko is a world unlike any other, a hidden and pristine paradise that is home to an energetic colony of gentoo penguins. Gentoo penguins are a curious group of birds that are always on the move. After a quick Zodiac shuttle, we landed ashore. Guests watched their steps while exploring, and we crossed the extensive "penguin highway" with care. The "penguin highway" is a series of trails created by the penguins that crisscross up the side of the foothill to the colony in the rocks. After navigating our way around the penguin highway, we arrived at the colony and were immediately greeted with loud honking and wing flapping. Our naturalist quickly noticed an absence of chicks due to a combination of factors. The gentoo penguins laid their eggs late, and there were extreme amounts of rain and snow at Neko Harbour. We did notice one lone penguin protecting its egg in hopes of hatching a chick in the future. After spending time on land, our adventure shifted to the sea. We joined a naturalist for a Zodiac cruise around Neko Harbour to enjoy the beautiful sound of silence. This lasted for a few minutes when the silence was suddenly interrupted by the song of a humpback whale. It has been suggested that humpback songs communicate male fitness to female whales. If we could see these sounds, they would look like tall, pointed mountains. The humpback was searching for krill, and we had the privilege of observing it from a close distance! Ice, ice, baby! There is no denying the beauty of the iceberg formations in Antarctica. Our Zodiac ride enabled us to visit icebergs of all shapes, sizes, and colors as we cruised through the brash ice. The icebergs were mysterious and sometimes exotic. It almost felt as if we had VIP access to a swanky resort with pools offering the deepest and most majestic colors of blue to exist in nature. Absolutely breathtaking! Tonight, we will make our way back to the Drake Passage and start our journey to Ushuaia. Thank you, Antarctica, for embracing us and offering glimpses of your beauty. Onward!
National Geographic Explorer sailed overnight from the Weddell Sea, through the Active and Antarctic Sounds, to the west side of the peninsula. Our aim was to sail into Charcot Bay and, in its deepest recess, Lindblad Cove. Named after the founder of Lindblad Expeditions, the cove is sheltered and surrounded by high ice cliffs formed by the glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula. The steep, dark mountain sides of the peninsula are home to young ice – heavy snowfalls to the west mean that the steep mountain sides slough off snow and ice at a relatively young age. Consequently, the glaciers are heavily crevassed, and we see much less rock here than on the east side of the peninsula. Despite heavy rain, masses of sea ice, and a long, languorous swell, we set off in Zodiacs to explore the ice. The silence of the cove was incredible. We sat for a long time and just listened, being present with our own fragility and the magnificence of all this beauty. The silence was, to use an apt phrase, deafening. Snow petrels passed overhead, their wings silent, while a kelp gull announced her presence, coming over to the Zodiacs to check us out as she called plaintively. Through rain drenched hats and splattered goggles, smiling faces told me that there are people on board who are clearly up for all kinds of conditions. We are Lindblad, right? A smiling band of hardy Vikings aboard a Zodiac offered hot chocolate and the odd snifter of whiskey to our soggy but delighted guests. Back on board the vessel, gloves and hats were wrung out and set aside to dry. We settled down to a lovely lunch and beautiful scenery as we sailed into low clouds. As we sailed southwest into the Gerlache Strait, the cloud base gradually lifted, and the sun began to catch the mountainsides around us. The illuminated snow was shining so brightly that it was necessary to wear our sunglasses inside the ship. In the afternoon, Michelle La Rue, our visiting speaker, gave an excellent lecture about her work with Weddell seals and how she has used citizen scientists around the world to count the seals. Her work found that there are very few Weddell seals in the Amundsen Sea; historical literature has overestimated the seal population. The population seems to be concentrated in the Ross Sea, home to 42% of the total number of seals counted, around 200,000 in total. The early estimated population size was over 800,000. Also, interestingly, she realized that Weddell seals did not like to associate with Adelie penguins at all – and that this was consistent around Antarctica. On the other hand, they are happy associating with emperor penguins, although not too many. Michelle has given us a great insight into the work currently going on around Antarctica by her and her colleagues, and she has shared her time, passion, and energy with us.
