Charlotte Bay, 11/16/2024, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Antarctica
This morning Captain Martin drove National Geographic Resolution into the fast ice in Charlotte Bay, and we spent the morning walking and skiing on the frozen sea. What a thrill it was! In a few days or weeks, this sea ice will break up and disappear, as it does every spring.
In the afternoon we kayaked, and then the hearty among us did the polar plunge – brrr!!
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
Christmas is coming to the ship! Almost overnight blow-up snowmen and decorations filled the hallways and bars. Sometimes, when one spends so much time in snowy places, as I do for ten months a year, it is a surprise to see snow featured as a special thing. And yet, of course it is very special. Without it, there would be no glaciers or ice caps. We would be able to sail the ship almost up to the south pole as the continent itself is only held together with the snow/ice combination. Take away all the white stuff and Antarctica would be a scattered mass of small islets and huge mountain chains. Once warm, we would find evidence of its former tropical nature. Fossils of giant penguins more than 2-meters tall would pop out of layers of sedimentary rocks while the dinosaurs that once roamed our now icy world would be apparent to those that know where to look, a secret I’m not sharing! Imagine a world without ice and tell me how you do it because I cannot.
Today we awoke to the news of killer whales in the area, (A big thank you to the bridge team while we were resting up after the previous day’s adventures.) and we observed them transit through the Gerlache Straight. Breakfast was then announced, before what would be a final action-packed day on the peninsula. After breakfast we arrived in Paradise Harbor where the conditions allowed for kayak operations. Following on from that, we sailed a short distance around the corner to Neko Harbor where we visited a gentoo colony and enjoyed epic panoramas of the bay. It was truly a spectacular way to conclude our time in Antarctica.
Today, the guests on board National Geographic Resolution awoke in the sea ice west of Adelaide Island, northbound from Marguerite Bay. The upper deck wore a thin layer of ice on the glass barriers that had accumulated during the cold night. Naturalist Johnny gave a presentation about the pinnipeds we have seen on our voyage, perhaps better described as “Seal Bingo”, which we had the pleasure of completing during our incredible voyage. It was followed by Captain Martin’s engrossing two and a half hour talk about the amazing ships, National Geographic Resolution and National Geographic Endurance . In the afternoon, we landed on Petermann Island in beautiful weather. Icebergs were grounded in the entrance of the harbor, where the letters “P.P.” could be found engraved in igneous rocks in honor or Charcot’s ship, Pourquoi Pas , in 1909. Other heritage features were present such as the Groussac hut and a memorial cross. Both Adélie and gentoo penguin colonies were visited, naturally we gave their users priority on the penguin highways in the snow.
