Overnight, the bridge team of National Geographic Resolution navigated the beautiful and narrow Lemaire Channel as we made our way north. We awoke in Paradise Bay surrounded by glaciers and icebergs. This would be our last outing before heading north through the Drake Passage. We had incredible weather, starting with sunshine that transitioned to a light and gentle snowfall throughout the day. Our staff took Exclusive Resorts members out on Zodiac tours of Skontorp Cove, an exceptionally stunning section of the bay. We were able to see calving ice crash off the glaciers, incredible blue icebergs, Antarctic cormorant breeding colonies, Gentoo penguins, and even humpback whales! The whales certainly stole the show as they circled our boats and showed off their flukes. After our leisurely Zodiac cruises, everyone warmed up with another exquisite lunch from our galley team followed by a photography session led by the photo team. By early evening, we started slowly cruising north towards the Drake Passage. We had a special treat after dinner…the famous Crew Show, where members of the crew sang, danced, and played music as we danced into the early hours of the night in the Ice Lounge. What a fantastic and unforgettable day!
1/28/2023
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National Geographic Resolution
The Drake Passage and the Beagle Channel
The sun came out by 07:00 this morning and stayed with us all the way into Ushuaia. In the morning, we had two presentations. One covered the South Pole, and the other was on the early Antarctic explorers. After lunch, we had a wonderful display by sei whales in the Beagle Channel. Shortly after, our two divers demonstrated the underwater ROV and the cold-water dive equipment. In the evening, we attended the Captain’s Farewell in the Ice Lounge and auctioned the trip flag. The Beagle Channel was named for the HMS Beagle . The channel is south of the Strait of Magellan, and it is the last cut off for ships rounding South America to avoid the Drake Passage. It was named during the first voyage of the HMS Beagle around 1827. It was on the second voyage of the HMS Beagle that a naturalist named Charles Darwin was brought along. Darwin and the HMS Beagle spent months in the channel. In addition to his observations in the Galapagos, many of Darwin’s observations in this area led to his Theory of Evolution. The HMS Beagle was sent with 22 chronometers to fine tune the latitude of critical points around the world. Captain Robert Fitzroy was not funded by the British Navy to have a naturalist aboard, but he hired Darwin with his own money because he felt it was important. That decision was critical in how we now look at the natural world around us.
