A VIEW OF ANTARCTICA

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From the Bridge: Lemaire Channel
by Ben Lyons

Without a doubt, standing on the bridge as Chief Officer of the National Geographic Explorer gives me a great window onto the remarkable places we travel. In an effort to bring a bit of that “view from the bridge” to the blog, I’m going to send in occasional photos I’ve taken while on watch over the last year. Coupled with a brief description of where we are and what we’re doing, hopefully it will provide another perspective on a typical day — such as there ever is — on board National Geographic Explorer.

I took this photo in November 2008, on our first Antarctica sailing of the season (aboard National Geographic Endeavour). We are approaching the entrance to the Lemaire Channel on the Antarctica peninsula, and guests are just starting to come out on deck or up to the bridge to witness our passage through this channel. While exact itineraries are ultimately dependant on ice and weather conditions, most of our expeditions to Antarctica include a sail to here.

The Lemaire channel is seven miles long, but squeezes down to less than a mile wide at its narrowest point. Ice often fills this natural choke point, and sheer mountain faces covered in snow and glaciers rise up dramatically from the sea. The steep cliff walls, however, mean that the sea bottom drops off quickly. This creates plenty of water for the ship right up against the very edge of the channel, and we often bring the ship close to the cliff walls in order to navigate around the ice.

In just two more months, I’ll be joining National Geographic Explorer for the remainder of her Antarctic season. Looking at pictures like this one, I know I can’t wait to get back to the ice.

 

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