We’ve had a bright and beautiful day, well south of the Antarctic Circle at 67° 33’ south latitude. This morning, we explored Bongrain Point on Pourquoi Pas Island, where Adelie penguins waddled their way between nests and the sea. Meanwhile, many of us hiked the lateral moraine alongside the glacier. From the top, we enjoyed great views of Marguerite Bay. In the afternoon, we arrived to a rarely visited bay, with stunning scenery and glassy calm seas. We kayaked among countless small bits of ice and saw a few seals resting on the ice, as well as glaciers and tall mountains as a majestic backdrop. Our activities were capped off by the Polar Plunge – a fun and very invigorating (and voluntary) jump into 0° C (32° F) water.
1/1/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Southbound, Drake Passage
It’s a foggy start to the day here in the Drake Passage as we make our way south towards the white continent of Antarctica. Today we will be crossing the polar front where water temperatures will plummet, and we can officially say we have entered Antarctic waters. This morning, we got to meet our eclectic expedition team that will be guiding us through the coming days, with the perfect mix of personalities and expertise. Also, this morning we had our first presentation by Naturalist Jackie Weston in the Ice Lounge entitled, “Brain Candy for Bird-Curious Humans”, where we learned more about the seabirds of the Southern Ocean. This afternoon we had our mandatory Antarctic landings briefing followed by a biosecurity decontamination in basecamp, where we cleaned and prepared all our outer gear and bags for the expedition ahead. Late afternoon, National Geographic Certified Photographer Andrew Peacock was joined by guests in the Ice Lounge to present some tips and tricks for using our smartphones for expedition photography. And to finish of this Drake Lake of a sea day, we were treated to a welcome by our very own Captain Martin Graser during cocktail hour and toasted to the trip ahead.