Today aboard National Geographic Endurance, we cruised to our first destination of the day, Astrolabe Island, for a Zodiac cruise. The island is home to over 3,400 pairs of chinstrap penguins and hundreds of Antarctic shags. Everyone was excited to find that Adelie and gentoo penguins could also be spotted, along with Weddell and crabeater seals. An arched iceberg was seen in the distance, and Captain Aaron Wood maneuvered National Geographic Endurance so everyone could get a closer look at this stunning piece of ice. Fortunately, our exploration of Astrolabe Island was completed just in time, as the winds started to pick up, making for a spotty return to the ship. Unfortunately, the winds altered the afternoon plans, but thanks to the amazing initiative of Expedition Leader Andy Wolff, we were able to visit Whalers Bay. After walking around the historic whaling station, everyone made it back to the ship just in time for cocktail hour and recap, where our Global Explorers presented the undersea video they took using the remote operated vehicle (ROV). And last, but certainly not least, the ship celebrated three birthdays at dinner, including Naturalist/Photo Instructor Jim Pfitzer!
1/12/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Booth Island and Port Charcot
National Geographic Resolution sailed south across the Drake Passage overnight. Seas were calm, but morning found us shrouded in fog as we made our way towards our first destination of the trip. As we grew nearer to Booth Island and Port Charcot, the fog began to lift and visibility improved. Things were looking promising by lunch time. Icebergs began appearing out of the mist and soon the Antarctic Peninsula came into view. As we steamed toward the French Passage, we began seeing humpback whales, first as blows a mile or more from the ship, but soon much closer. We spent the afternoon hiking among chinstrap and gentoo penguins, but the ice was the real star of today’s show. Towering icebergs in a dizzying array of shapes glowed in the sun as we watched whales surfacing and diving and occasionally breaching among them. There is something simply awe-inspiring about an animal that is more than 50 feet long throwing itself almost completely out of the water before crashing down to make an enormous splash. Why do they do it? Because they can. This is a storied part of the Antarctic Peninsula, with names like Gerlache and Shackleton and Charcot dotting the map. But today, nature stole the show as she so often does. The day simply could not have been more perfect.
