At Sea
The National Geographic Endeavour makes her way north through the Drake Passage. The early part of the day is calm, with barely a breeze to keep the Pintado Petrels, our constant companions across the Drake, aloft. As we travel further the wind begins to rise, as does the sea temperature. We have crossed the convergence, an area of the Southern Ocean where the warm waters from the North meet the colder waters flowing from around Antarctica. In this area there is a tremendous amount of sea water mixing and up-welling, creating huge pockets of nutrients for birds, and other pelagic animals to feast upon. Although the convergence moves latitudes slightly throughout the austral summer as water temperatures change, but is the environmental boundary to the Antarctic, and as we cross it, we say goodbye to our days on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Every expedition to Antarctica is unique. However, one of the things that makes Lindblad’s expeditions to Antarctica that much more distinctive is the concentration on not only the terrestrial life, but also what goes on below the waters surface. Every trip onboard the National Geographic Endeavour, there is a dedicated Undersea Specialist, who takes a closer look at the benthic community of Antarctica, bringing back video of this seldom seen world. A common misconception about Antarctica is that because the water is so cold nothing lives there. In actuality, with such nutrient rich water, it is one of the most diverse and beautiful communities in the world. The colors here rival any tropical reef, and every day on the bottom is an adventure as you never know what you will find.
The “monster” of the trip was the Giant Isopod. Growing to more than 6 inches long, this detritus feeder lives in a variety of habitats around the continent of Antarctica, and fills the niche of the crab who has not yet ventured up on the continental shelf. Delicate anemones can be found in abundance in areas protected from ice scour. But, one of the most interesting creatures of this voyage was this six-armed starfish. Although commonly found in the Pacific Northwest and even around the Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, starfish with 6 arms are rarely found in the waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula.
Although our adventure is almost over, Antarctica is a place that has touched us all in some way, and we will bring back the memories for a lifetime.
The National Geographic Endeavour makes her way north through the Drake Passage. The early part of the day is calm, with barely a breeze to keep the Pintado Petrels, our constant companions across the Drake, aloft. As we travel further the wind begins to rise, as does the sea temperature. We have crossed the convergence, an area of the Southern Ocean where the warm waters from the North meet the colder waters flowing from around Antarctica. In this area there is a tremendous amount of sea water mixing and up-welling, creating huge pockets of nutrients for birds, and other pelagic animals to feast upon. Although the convergence moves latitudes slightly throughout the austral summer as water temperatures change, but is the environmental boundary to the Antarctic, and as we cross it, we say goodbye to our days on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Every expedition to Antarctica is unique. However, one of the things that makes Lindblad’s expeditions to Antarctica that much more distinctive is the concentration on not only the terrestrial life, but also what goes on below the waters surface. Every trip onboard the National Geographic Endeavour, there is a dedicated Undersea Specialist, who takes a closer look at the benthic community of Antarctica, bringing back video of this seldom seen world. A common misconception about Antarctica is that because the water is so cold nothing lives there. In actuality, with such nutrient rich water, it is one of the most diverse and beautiful communities in the world. The colors here rival any tropical reef, and every day on the bottom is an adventure as you never know what you will find.
The “monster” of the trip was the Giant Isopod. Growing to more than 6 inches long, this detritus feeder lives in a variety of habitats around the continent of Antarctica, and fills the niche of the crab who has not yet ventured up on the continental shelf. Delicate anemones can be found in abundance in areas protected from ice scour. But, one of the most interesting creatures of this voyage was this six-armed starfish. Although commonly found in the Pacific Northwest and even around the Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, starfish with 6 arms are rarely found in the waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula.
Although our adventure is almost over, Antarctica is a place that has touched us all in some way, and we will bring back the memories for a lifetime.
