The day began with an early wakeup call for an incredible sighting of type B killer whales while the ship transited to our first stop at Tay Head on Joinville Island. The morning sent us ashore for a visit to an incredible Adelie penguin colony and a beautiful hike with views of the island. After lunch, a blue whale was spotted while transiting to Paulette Island before disappearing amongst the ice. Zodiac cruises allowed us to explore bergs floating in front of another Adelie penguin colony, and guests were treated to hot chocolate served by the hotel team via Zodiac. After dinner, a rarely seen emperor penguin chick was spotted on the ice as the ship transited further south into the Weddell Sea, bringing the penguin species observed during our trip to eight!
2/26/2025
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National Geographic Endurance
Cierva Cove and Palaver Point, Antarctica
We arrived at the picturesque Cierva Cove early this morning, greeted by beautifully calm conditions, fresh snow on the mountains, and a crisp air temperature just below zero. We launched the Zodiacs for a wildlife-filled cruise among the icebergs. We encountered gentoo penguins returning to the colony to feed their chicks, a beautiful, young leopard seal on the ice, and, the special treat of the day, an incredibly curious Antarctic minke whale! The whale swam from boat to boat, repeatedly swimming around and underneath us, clearly looking up at the Zodiacs and the awe-struck people in them! After a lunchtime repositioning of National Geographic Endurance , we dropped the Zodiacs once again. This time we were landing ashore at Palaver Point for a good leg stretch! A haven for penguin lovers, with its extensive chinstrap penguin colony, the landing site was busy with a mixture of molting adult birds, fledged chicks, and a few young chicks still on the nest begging for food from their parents. We had the chance for a snowy climb to the viewpoint to take in the last views of the White Continent before National Geographic Endurance’s last departure from Antarctica for the season!
