It is believed that 202 years ago this month, Irishman Edward Bransfield was the first person to see and describe the Antarctic Peninsula. We sailed through those same waters today, albeit in much more comfort. Bransfield Strait, the 200-mile stretch of sea between the South Shetlands and the Peninsula, is named in honour of Bransfield’s discovery. We are heading from Trinity Island towards the Trinity Peninsula, which Bransfield named “Trinity Land.” It was a wild and windy day here, which prevented a landing despite valiant attempts!
2/24/2022
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National Geographic Endurance
Pebble Island and Saunders Island, Falkland Islands
Today was a day filled with exciting opportunities for exploration! We started the morning on Pebble Island with an early landing filled with Peale’s dolphins, before going for long walks along the coastline and interior. In the afternoon we were able to go on a hike to “The Neck” on Saunders Island, an area with sei whale bones and nesting cormorants. The Undersea Team went on a SCUBA dive, exploring the shallow kelp forests on the coastline of Pebble Island, and were surprised to see several Peale’s dolphins diving with them towards the end of their dive.