Today at 5:42 we witnessed yet another amazing Antarctic sunrise. We spent the night in the south end of the Antarctic Sound around Erebus and Terror Gulf. These areas where named after the ships used by Otto Nordenskjöld in the Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904) and by James Clark Ross in the Ross Expedition (1839-1843) respectively. After breakfast we used the Zodiacs to explore nearby Egg, Tail, and Eagle Island and we were able to make a continental landing on the rarely visited side of the Trinity Peninsula, the northern most part of the Antarctic Peninsula. A spectacular morning and a suiting finish to our visit to Antarctica as it was time to head north to South Georgia. And as usual the crew of the National Geographic Orion did so in the most interesting way by taking us though the scenic and ice clogged waters of Fridtjof Sound. A fitting close to this chapter of our voyage.
3/12/2025
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea towards Ushuaia
It was a day for reflection. Our journey was coming to an end as we left the Falklands behind and National Geographic Endurance steamed towards South America and Ushuaia. The seas were kind to us, and despite low winds, we had black-browed albatross, among other birds, around us. In the morning, we listened to the naturalists onboard as they presented on different subjects in the ice lounge. Land-ho! Mid-morning we had land in sight, South America was appearing on the horizon. Upon entering the Beagle Channel, we saw possibly a hundred sei whales. While the seabirds were waiting for the wind on the surface, the whales were feeding a short distance from the ship. As our vessel waited for the pilot to arrive, we could still see whale blows in the distance. We enjoyed a teatime extravaganza with Chef Sara and her team. Cheese and wine brought most of the ship’s inhabitants to deck 8, and while sipping wine we watched sea lions, dolphins, and stunning views of Tierra del Fuego go by until it was time for Captain Aaron’s farewell toast. As much as we are reflecting on our expedition today, it has also been a day of celebration! It has been an incredible journey of many miles, great people, and wonderful experiences. Thank you all!
