The Drake Passage, Cape Horn & The Beagle Channel
Our second day in the mild mannered Drake was welcomed by all aboard. Good speed was made by the National Geographic Endeavour through the night and we sighted Cape Horn around 0900 hours.
Isla Hornos, the southernmost tip of South America, was named by the Dutch captain Willem van Schouten who first rounded the Cape in 1616. Cape Horn is in Chilean territory and as we approached it we were reminded of this by the radio station situated there. As we passed going to the east towards the entrance to the Beagle Channel we could glimpse the meteorological station and small buildings situated on the plateau perched on the top of the island .
The hills and mountains to our starboard became progressively more verdant as we made our way eventually to turn northward into the Beagle Channel. A land smell could be discerned by those with discriminating olfactory sensibilities and there was a noticeable change in the composition of the bird species sighted from the ship. First there were Sooty Shearwaters and a little latter our predictable encounters with swimming Magellenic Penguins.
As required we picked up the Argentine pilot who guided us safely up to our destination port of Ushuaia. This now busy tourist destination was originally a Yaghan Indian fishing area and in the early 1900’s became the site of a federal prison for dangerous criminals and political dissidents. Argentina also maintains a navel base there and during the 1970’s was fighting with Chile over the claims for certain islands lying along the border which divides them in the middle of the Beagle Channel. The Pope intervened and somehow got them to stop shooting at each other!
A great trip, with exceptional weather and a record for the farthest southern journey by the good ship National Geographic Endeavour. Happy travels to your next destinations all.
Our second day in the mild mannered Drake was welcomed by all aboard. Good speed was made by the National Geographic Endeavour through the night and we sighted Cape Horn around 0900 hours.
Isla Hornos, the southernmost tip of South America, was named by the Dutch captain Willem van Schouten who first rounded the Cape in 1616. Cape Horn is in Chilean territory and as we approached it we were reminded of this by the radio station situated there. As we passed going to the east towards the entrance to the Beagle Channel we could glimpse the meteorological station and small buildings situated on the plateau perched on the top of the island .
The hills and mountains to our starboard became progressively more verdant as we made our way eventually to turn northward into the Beagle Channel. A land smell could be discerned by those with discriminating olfactory sensibilities and there was a noticeable change in the composition of the bird species sighted from the ship. First there were Sooty Shearwaters and a little latter our predictable encounters with swimming Magellenic Penguins.
As required we picked up the Argentine pilot who guided us safely up to our destination port of Ushuaia. This now busy tourist destination was originally a Yaghan Indian fishing area and in the early 1900’s became the site of a federal prison for dangerous criminals and political dissidents. Argentina also maintains a navel base there and during the 1970’s was fighting with Chile over the claims for certain islands lying along the border which divides them in the middle of the Beagle Channel. The Pope intervened and somehow got them to stop shooting at each other!
A great trip, with exceptional weather and a record for the farthest southern journey by the good ship National Geographic Endeavour. Happy travels to your next destinations all.
