At Sea, the Drake Passage, 12/8/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Antarctica
We enjoyed an exceptionally smooth crossing of the Drake Passage, or “Drake Lake” as we call it when conditions are perfect. We had time to reflect on our unique adventure to the frozen continent, and we shared memories with our fellow travellers.
This is the first time that some of us ventured this far south of the Antarctic Circle, and it has made a deep impression on us. We are in awe of this magnificent yet fragile world. We have been lucky to experience the beauty of this last wilderness on Earth, and we are grateful for the opportunity to explore where few have been before. Now it is time for some well-deserved relaxation as we near the end of our Antarctic expedition.
Sophie van der Hart is a Dutch and French biologist specialized in the fields of evolution, biodiversity and conservation. She has a master's degree in biology from Leiden University in the Netherlands and is a certified international biology teacher...
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We headed into the infamous Drake Passage last night after five days in Antarctica, so today's slightly later wakeup call and breakfast were a welcomed change of pace. A day at sea, however, does not mean fewer opportunities for wildlife spotting! Large numbers of seabirds flew all around the ship, such as southern giant petrels, Antarctic prions, and Cape petrels. We observed several light-mantled albatrosses, considered by some to be the most beautiful of that spectacular family of birds. In the early afternoon, several of the less commonly seen Antarctic petrels joined the fray, distinguishable from the artistically patterned Cape petrels (known also by their Spanish name 'pintado,' meaning painted) by their more orderly black and white plumage. While sea days spent heading back north from Antarctica provide time for reflection and processing of our experiences over the last few days, the lecture and enrichment program also continues. In the morning, Undersea Specialist Emmett Clarkin spoke about the ocean currents that keep Antarctica cold and insulate it from the rest of the planet, while Naturalist Elise Lockton gave a long-anticipated account of Sir Ernest Shackleton's famous Imperial Transantarctic Expedition. Finally, Naturalist Maria Intxaustegi presented some of her experiences working as a marine archaeologist. After a hearty dinner of Japanese okonomiyaki, we gathered once more in the lounge for a showing of the documentary Around Cape Horn, in which Captain Irving Johnson recalls his time sailing aboard the bark Peking from Europe around Cape Horn to Santiago. This film puts the historic significance of our spectacular ocean crossing into fitting perspective, especially as we hope to catch a glimpse of the famous lighthouse and monument at Cape Horn tomorrow morning.
We spent this morning cruising north to our afternoon destination at the Fish Islands and their neighboring islands, the Minnows. Here we dropped our Zodiacs and toured amongst beautiful icebergs, snowcapped peaks, and tidewater glaciers. It was a day filled with presentations in the Ice Lounge. Staff naturalists covered a variety of topics, including, “The Natural History of Antarctica,” iPhone photography, and, “A Brief History of Antarctic Exploration.”
National Geographic Explorer awoke to another bluebird morning on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. An otherworldly landscape of snow and ice, the majestic mountains of the peninsula are a continuation of the Andes and were joined to Patagonia for most of their geologic history. When the Drake Passage opened up about 30 million years ago, the continent moved into its current position over the South Pole, and the Andean chain broke into two. As the climate cooled, ice sheets started to appear, and the icy continent that we have today began to evolve. Today, glaciers ooze down the steep walls of the peninsula’s dramatic coast, making for incredible scenery. Cruising into Andvord Bay after breakfast, the captain practically parked the ship on the beach at Neko Harbour for our morning activity. On shore, we visited our last gentoo penguin colony and observed two Weddell seals hauled out on the snow and one on a piece of ice. Hiking up the hill, we had an incredible view of the surroundings and Mount Français, the tallest mountain (9,168’) on the peninsula. After lunch, we cruised up the Gerlache Strait and entered Dallmann Bay, where we had wonderful encounters with humpback whales. What an incredible end to an extraordinary trip around the Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula.
