We had a beautiful transit through Lemaire Channel early this morning with high mountain ridges towering above the ship and glaciers on the mainland side. About halfway into the channel, we encountered a pod of orca whales. We made a 360-degree turn to follow them for a bit before turning back south to make our way to Port Charcot. We disembarked and spent time on Booth Island with various colonies of gentoo, chinstrap, and Adelie penguins. Everyone had the option to take Zodiac cruises through the iceberg garden in the bay. After lunch, we made our way back through the Lemaire Channel to the aptly named Paradise Harbor for our final Zodiac cruise of the expedition.
1/24/2023
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National Geographic Resolution
Penola Strait and Prospect Point
The passengers and crew of National Geographic Resolution started their day surrounded by stunning scenery just south of the Lemaire Channel. We were very close to the Ukraine Research Station, Vernadsky. As we sailed on steadily, passengers were treated to a lecture about snow algae and its effect on the snow and ice of Antarctica by Alia Kahn, our visiting scientist. A short while later, Jim Coyer offered some very interesting insights into krill, which is literally the foundation of the Antarctic life cycle. After lunch, we arrived at Prospect Point at the southern end of the Penola Strait. Zodiacs were lowered, and guests were treated to a wonderfully serene, peaceful cruise amongst ice floes and huge icebergs of various shapes. The sheer majesty of the scenery of the Antarctic Peninsula rarely fails to move us and engage all our senses. Back on board, undersea specialist and naturalist Tanish Peelgrane provided guests with the opportunity to show off their artistic talents with watercolors. This yielded many wonderful interpretations of the afternoon’s experiences. As one more exceptional day draws to an end, we look forward to seeing what delights tomorrow brings.
