We bid adieu to our life in the Antarctic and began our journey home. As a mid-morning activity, we had Frühschoppen on the back deck. Frühschoppen is a German tradition, to meet up with people for a drink and food before midday. Head chef Rannie and his team set up a BBQ on the back deck and we gathered for food, music, and drinks. Fresh sausages were being grilled (don’t forget the grilled onions, sauerkraut, and various mustards!), Bloody Marys were being poured, and we had a mini dance party to the Michael Jackson soundtrack that was playing. The wind still had a sharp bite to it, but it was nothing a hat and a pair of gloves couldn’t fix. While we scarfed our sausages (eating more than one sausage was definitely welcome, judgment-free!), we enjoyed watching the cape petrels glide behind us. They were a good reminder that, despite our fanfare, we were still in the wild Southern Ocean.

The naturalists wouldn’t dare let us leave the ship without sharing all of the knowledge of the area that they possibly could, so the rest of our day was filled with lectures and recaps. We learned that the Undersea Program is unique to Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. Despite common misconceptions, the underwater world of the Southern Ocean is incredibly vibrant and exploding with life. These icy waters are the perfect environment for an abundance of phytoplankton, which are the base of the oceanic food web.

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to get to know National Geographic crew a little better. After Kevin was done serving us Bloody Marys, we chatted with him about his history of dance (after the crew show, we all knew Kevin was an awesome dancer!). Kevin first started dancing on stage at age five at a local Pilipino festival. At 13, he joined a hip-hop dance group. It was in this group that he learned most of his moves and skills. From 13-18 he travelled to competitions all around the Philippines with his dance group. They once even competed in a national competition in Manila; they didn’t win, but it was a fun experience! Kevin definitely brings fun energy to the ship and is regularly found simultaneously dancing and holding a cocktail tray!