We have reached Antarctica! Today onboard National Geographic Explorer, we finished our crossing of the Drake Passage and made it to Dallmann Bay. Our Captain Peik Aalto welcomed us with a traditional Captain’s Cocktail Party. By the time we were seated for dinner, icebergs were gently gliding by the windows. After dinner, the ship cruised into the smaller Fournier Bay. We took to the decks amongst softly falling snow to get close views of icebergs and to peer at mountains through the fog. We have made it, and it is beautiful.
11/18/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Kinnes Cove, Antarctic Peninsula
After an adventurous night of attempting to make it through lots of sea ice and into the Weddell Sea, we ended up turning back and spending our morning exploring an area a little further north. This turned out to provide stunning scenery and wildlife encounters as the morning unfolded. After breakfast, we deployed the Zodiacs and cruised around Kinnes Cove, enjoying excellent views of a resting leopard seal, crab eater seals, and gentoo and Adelie penguins swimming and walking across the fast ice. Antarctic shags were active in the cove, as the whole flock dove over and over, feeding on something underwater. Snow petrels were flying about, and two emperor penguins showed up and played in the water around the Zodiacs. We were all delighted with this perfect farewell to our incredible voyage to Antarctica. As we set sail northward to cross the Drake Passage again, we enjoyed a special Filipino buffet dinner, followed by a festive evening of entertainment from the renowned crew of National Geographic Resolution .
