After just one day at sea, we reached the South Shetland Islands, a classic jumping off point for an Antarctic expedition. We visited Barrientos Island in the morning and had high winds, but the fog soon cleared and revealed the peaks and glaciers all around us. You could feel the anticipation on board as guests donned their gear and lifejackets for our first landing…and first penguin experience.
We repositioned to Half Moon Island for the afternoon, and fifty of our guests opted for a long hike up the bluffs and around the Argentine Camara Station. Others observed the penguins and seals closer to our landing site.
By evening we visited Edinburgh Hill by ship, enjoying a beautiful world class example of columnar basalt. It was a great first day of our adventure.
