We made it! It’s so weird to be amongst green again. It feels like years since we’ve sighted a tree! We are currently sailing the Beagle Channel, bound for Ushuaia in a few short moments, too few in my humble opinion. This trip was exceptional. We were so lucky on our journey – we managed to explore places that no Lindblad ship has gone before. The guest slideshow that played at the Captain’s Farewell this evening was an emotional one. I cannot wrap my head around just how much we were able to see and experience on this journey!
Today was a bittersweet day in many ways. We had reasonably calm conditions to pack our bags, and our day was peppered with several interesting talks, urging us to think to the future – to move forward as ambassadors for this incredible place and to think about how our actions and decisions affect climate change and the sea ice that these fascinating species we have eagerly observed depend on.
The wildlife on our return journey was phenomenal. We had an escort of Cape petrels through most of the day, several species of albatrosses, and a great swath of South American birds as we returned to the continent. Several cetacean species were spotted as well, including sei whales and dusky dolphins. What a great trip!
The Winner of our National Geographic Endurance Artistic Ice Contest: “Surfing Penguins” by Bill Boitnott. Photo by Jackie Weston
