Ocean Harbour and St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia, 3/6/2022, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Antarctica
It was a blustery morning at Stromness, onboard National Geographic Resolution. We spent our time ashore milling about an old whaling area and then whaling vessel repair station. Hikers spent time reflecting at the waterfall and taking in the whaling station ruins. Many of the usual suspects were ashore such as king penguins, Antarctic fur seals, and a colony of gentoo penguins.
The afternoon we enjoyed a great exploration at Jason Harbour, a new site to many of the staff and crew, who got to discover this place along with the guests. A hut that was once a post office from the early days of exploration still remains. Everyone was delighted to hike the tussock in the sunshine, coming across many elephant seals on their way.
Amy was raised near Cape Cod in coastal Marion, Massachusetts, and her relationship with the ocean and nature has always been an active one. Her parents, avid divers and marine biologists, introduced her to the underwater world when she was very youn...
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We approached the Beagle Channel on our final day on board National Geographic Explorer . The winds had calmed, and the sun was shining. This resulted in the perfect opportunity to spot sei whales, which are often found in the waters of the Beagle Channel. Naturalist Sophie Van Der Hart provided us with the first lecture of the day, sharing insights about the evolution of whales. We learned how whales truly became the giants of our oceans. After lunch, climate change in the Antarctic was the topic for discussion. Naturalist Zac Brown guided us through the impacts this pristine environment is facing due to a rapidly changing climate and the things we can do to help. The afternoon’s activities came to a close with a delightful tea prepared by the hotel team. The captain’s farewell cocktail party gave us the chance to reflect on the expedition with a premiere of the guest slideshow. We celebrated a fantastic exploration of the Southern Ocean as the photos in the slideshow reminded us of the amazing wildlife and scenery we have witnessed along the way. Cheers!
Today’s destination was the New Island group, a series of nine islands found in the southwest of the Falkland Islands. The largest of the group is New Island, surrounded by eight smaller islands. This group is monitored and managed by the Falkland Islands Conservation group, which is largely supported by tourism operations. Through continued protection, this wildlife haven has attracted large numbers of a variety of species, eventually leading to it being classified as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Fortunately, this is a stark contrast to the island’s early history of whaling and habitat destruction. After breakfast, guests departed for shore in Zodiacs, arriving on the white sandy beaches of New Island. We hiked a short distance across the island to access a large rockhopper penguin colony and a thriving black-browed albatross colony. Upon arrival, two macaroni penguins were discovered at the base of the colony. We enjoyed the sunshine and a little wind as we perused the colony and took in the cliffside views. After returning to the beach, guests visited a small museum and gift shop supported by New Islanders. The museum was originally erected on the site of a rough stone shelter built by a shipwrecked captain and his four crew members. Several ongoing scientific projects are underway on the island. The projects focus on several species, including gentoo penguins, white-chinned petrels, Falkland skuas, imperial cormorants, Upland geese, and striated caracaras. After leaving the island for lunch, National Geographic Explorer departed for Ushuaia. We enjoyed several afternoon presentations from the naturalists before the evening got underway.
Today we explored two of the most beautiful islands in the Falklands’ archipelago. West Point has a wonderful settlement and nice colonies of black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. Carcass has colonies of gentoo and Magellanic penguins. In Carcass, we also find the endemic and unique Cobb’s wren, which only inhabits rat-free islands. Plenty of other wildlife is found at these two wonderful sites. We had a wonderful teatime on Carcass. Interestingly, West Point has a deep connection to Lindblad Expeditions, as some of the ashes of Lars Eric Lindblad are scattered in a beautiful corner of the garden in West Point. Enter the garden, pass the house, go through the trees, and you will find a secluded grassy area with an oval-shaped area full of beautiful plants. This is the location. Certainly, a wonderful place to be for eternity. After wonderful wildlife sightings, cookies, winds, plants, and a spiritual connection to nature, we went ahead with our expedition.
