Beagle Channel & Garibaldi Glacier
After joining the National Geographic Endeavour late yesterday afternoon, we immediately set out across the Beagle Channel and east to the small harbor of Puerto Williams in order to clear the vessel into Chilean waters. Though it seemed a bit odd, in reality, this little detour opened up a wealth of opportunities for our expedition’s coming days along the coast of Chile and provided some flexibility that may pay big dividends along the way. With so many inlets and islands ahead of us, we wanted as much time in the bank as possible in order to best take advantage of any hidden gems we find as we sail along of Chile’s extensive and lengthy coastline.
The first such reward came today as we had the entire day to explore the intricate passages of the Beagle Channel and its many glacial arms. Under the guidance of our local pilots, we sailed along the channel at our leisure gliding past one stunning scene after another. With the mountains rising out of the sea to either side of the ship, it was almost impossible to capture everything on film, but we didn’t stop trying. Soon, the clouds parted enough to allow views of the high-slung blue glacial saddles spilling over from the enormous Garibaldi glacier. We had hoped to find anchorage underneath the glacier at some point and were delighted to hear that we would be able to get out in the Zodiacs and kayaks for an even closer inspection.
If the scenery of the fjords seemed overwhelming from the 300 ft ship, it was almost staggering when viewed from the water’s level. The huge tidewater arm of the glacier just ahead of the ship calved several times while we sat mesmerized by the sheer volume and forces involved. The kayaks, of course, did not venture quite so close, but they were enjoying the freedom of being under their own power and set out to circumnavigate one of the fjord’s small islands getting acquainted with some of the area’s wildlife along the way.
South American sea lions made occasional appearance, and we certainly kept our eyes peeled for the elusive marine otter (without success on this day, but we’re still looking). However, the best looks today were those focused on the birdlife. Magellanic penguins popped up from time to time; Patagonian crested ducks, kelp geese, and many others could be found busily harvesting the bevy of food supplied by the rich glacial waters. And while most of the birds were best spotted off the ship, we did have one surprise visitor that was found stowing away in one of our lifeboats. A young slender-billed prion had apparently found refuge on the ship during the night (possibly even for a couple of nights, as it may have hitched a ride over from the Falklands) and rescued by Trip Dennis, our resident birder extraordinaire. Trip tucked the small, delicate petrel into some dry towels in order to give it time to recuperate from damp conditions of the lifeboat; then later in the afternoon brought up into the lounge for an informative session of show and tell before releasing it just prior to our evening cocktail party. It was a rare opportunity to see this shy animal so intimately, and just one example of how a little patience and observation can lead to great discoveries in this remote and wild corner of the world.
After joining the National Geographic Endeavour late yesterday afternoon, we immediately set out across the Beagle Channel and east to the small harbor of Puerto Williams in order to clear the vessel into Chilean waters. Though it seemed a bit odd, in reality, this little detour opened up a wealth of opportunities for our expedition’s coming days along the coast of Chile and provided some flexibility that may pay big dividends along the way. With so many inlets and islands ahead of us, we wanted as much time in the bank as possible in order to best take advantage of any hidden gems we find as we sail along of Chile’s extensive and lengthy coastline.
The first such reward came today as we had the entire day to explore the intricate passages of the Beagle Channel and its many glacial arms. Under the guidance of our local pilots, we sailed along the channel at our leisure gliding past one stunning scene after another. With the mountains rising out of the sea to either side of the ship, it was almost impossible to capture everything on film, but we didn’t stop trying. Soon, the clouds parted enough to allow views of the high-slung blue glacial saddles spilling over from the enormous Garibaldi glacier. We had hoped to find anchorage underneath the glacier at some point and were delighted to hear that we would be able to get out in the Zodiacs and kayaks for an even closer inspection.
If the scenery of the fjords seemed overwhelming from the 300 ft ship, it was almost staggering when viewed from the water’s level. The huge tidewater arm of the glacier just ahead of the ship calved several times while we sat mesmerized by the sheer volume and forces involved. The kayaks, of course, did not venture quite so close, but they were enjoying the freedom of being under their own power and set out to circumnavigate one of the fjord’s small islands getting acquainted with some of the area’s wildlife along the way.
South American sea lions made occasional appearance, and we certainly kept our eyes peeled for the elusive marine otter (without success on this day, but we’re still looking). However, the best looks today were those focused on the birdlife. Magellanic penguins popped up from time to time; Patagonian crested ducks, kelp geese, and many others could be found busily harvesting the bevy of food supplied by the rich glacial waters. And while most of the birds were best spotted off the ship, we did have one surprise visitor that was found stowing away in one of our lifeboats. A young slender-billed prion had apparently found refuge on the ship during the night (possibly even for a couple of nights, as it may have hitched a ride over from the Falklands) and rescued by Trip Dennis, our resident birder extraordinaire. Trip tucked the small, delicate petrel into some dry towels in order to give it time to recuperate from damp conditions of the lifeboat; then later in the afternoon brought up into the lounge for an informative session of show and tell before releasing it just prior to our evening cocktail party. It was a rare opportunity to see this shy animal so intimately, and just one example of how a little patience and observation can lead to great discoveries in this remote and wild corner of the world.
