What a welcome to South Georgia- at last, the wildlife mecca, bustled before our eyes today. We explored Elsehul via Zodiacs as swarms of birds, pinnipeds, and even a bit of carnage could be found! Macaroni penguins were arriving at the rocky cliffs to nest and even a chinstrap penguin was spotted. Some of the naturalists noted seeing more light-mantled, grey-headed albatross in the air and nesting here in Elsehul than ever before. Indeed a fantastic sign of restoration to the seabird populations post rat eradication. The weather was so splendid that we were able to cruise, particularly closely, through the Willis Islands. The steep cliffs were teeming with yet more large birds, seemingly millions of small prions, and a humpback whale to boot! In the afternoon we all could hardly pull ourselves away from the bow after the expert navigation of our bridge team brought the ship nearly to the beaches of Salisbury Plain.
3/13/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea Towards the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia
A gently swaying National Geographic Endurance greeted the day. The wind and waves that our guests had become accustomed to during this voyage were nowhere in sight. Instead, a light breeze and calm seas lifted our spirits as we prepared for our final day on the ship. Sei whales, albatross, and dolphins welcomed us into the Beagle Channel before long. In between packing and reclaiming our passports, several presentations were given with a wide range of topics. First up, our undersea team shared footage from several dives in the Falklands, including a notable visit from some rather playful southern sea lions. Secondly, our National Geographic photographer spoke about photography and how it can be used to inspire conversation about wild places. Wrapping up our presentations for the day was our guest speaker, Mensun Bound, who provided a loose Q&A session on Shackleton. Captain Oliver and Expedition Leader Russ shared a few words about our epic voyage and sent us off to dinner. A day full of education and sightseeing – a great way to say farewell to our incredible guests.