This morning, National Geographic Explorer entered Yankee Harbour located on Greenwich Island. It was here that we were met with beautiful early morning conditions and a welcome party of inquisitive gentoo penguins and a solitary leopard seal that was on the prowl. Hiking or Zodiac cruises were our options during our morning in Yankee Harbour, both returning guests with bright smiles and full SD cards.
After lunch, we set sail southwest with eager anticipation of exploring Half Moon Island. Half Moon is a small island lying north of the Burgas Peninsula which forms the east extremity of Livingston Island in the South Shetlands. With blue skies and the sun shining for our final shore landing we made the most of the afternoon with a long hike which did not disappoint—we were meet with a colourful backdrop of Argentinian flags scatted among a small nearby station, nesting Antarctic terns, a sizable rookery of chinstrap penguins, and breathtaking views of the surrounding harbour and distant snow-capped mountains.
