Cuverville Island, 12/12/2021, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Antarctica
When we woke up this morning we were expecting foul weather. Peter, our expedition leader, had warned us about the weather in the briefing the night before. So, as we peered out our windows, the blowing snow was not unexpected. But, we were prepared – we’re on an expedition, not a cruise. Snow impaired our visibility, but not our mission.
The shore of Cuverville Island was just visible through the snow…well, almost. Our Zodiac headed to shore, weaving through large chunks of ice as the shore team guided us to a proper landing – even wading out into thigh-deep water to do so! On shore, we quickly removed our life jackets and were immersed into a wonderful winter landscape of falling snow and gentoo penguins. What a magical morning.
Steve Morello has had a long and colorful career in the natural history world. Born in New Jersey, he was lucky to be able to summer on the shores of Cape Cod. Whether it was exploring the tidal pools, snorkeling along the beach, or hiking in the dun...
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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.
Before breakfast and from the north, our ship approached the famous Lemaire Channel. The narrow channel is ornamented with magnificent black cliffs on both sides. The cliffs stick out of a steep glacier belt at low elevations. The clifftops were hidden by overcast clouds. The channel is so narrow that a large iceberg could completely block the passage. Luckily, all icebergs within the channel were small or medium-sized, and National Geographic Endurance made it through. At the southern exit of the channel, we spotted Pleneau Island, our destination for the morning landing. A shallow sea near the island trapped hundreds of icebergs driven by wind and currents until they were grounded. Two of them were especially remarkable. One was in the shape of a bridge. An opening in the iceberg was decorated with huge icicles. From one side, guests on the Zodiac cruise could take an ice-framed photo of our ship. The second massive iceberg had an enormous cave that was carved by ocean waves. The cave was about 30 meters high at the entrance and about 50 meters deep. A landing at the island and Zodiac cruises were offered to guests. Pleneau Island is home to about 3,000 pairs of nesting gentoo penguins. The island is almost completely covered by ice and snow except for multiple small, smooth rock outcrops that protrude through the snow. These clear openings were used by nesting birds. The sky cleared after lunch. We sailed through the Lemaire Channel again in the opposite direction. The ship repositioned to nearby Hidden Bay, where we had two afternoon rounds of Zodiac cruising. The bay was surrounded by spectacular peaks and sparkling glaciers. Guests enjoyed the Zodiac cruises and a very interesting presentation about science experiments in the Southern Ocean. Before dinner, National Geographic Endurance set its course for Ushuaia across the Drake Passage.
We’ve had a bright and beautiful day, well south of the Antarctic Circle at 67° 33’ south latitude. This morning, we explored Bongrain Point on Pourquoi Pas Island, where Adelie penguins waddled their way between nests and the sea. Meanwhile, many of us hiked the lateral moraine alongside the glacier. From the top, we enjoyed great views of Marguerite Bay. In the afternoon, we arrived to a rarely visited bay, with stunning scenery and glassy calm seas. We kayaked among countless small bits of ice and saw a few seals resting on the ice, as well as glaciers and tall mountains as a majestic backdrop. Our activities were capped off by the Polar Plunge – a fun and very invigorating (and voluntary) jump into 0° C (32° F) water.
