Cape Horn
We are back in the land of the Albatross! Or, not to put too fine a point on it, cruising the seas of the Albatross, north of the Antarctic Convergence with the White Continent in our wake. After a restful night riding the moderate swell of a very friendly Drake Passage, we woke to find the long-winged ocean wanderers once again surrounding our ship, riding down the wind to skim a wingtip over the waves and then soaring up, again and again and again.
Shortly after breakfast our Expedition Leader announced that land was in sight and by mid-morning we had reached Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America and a fabled landmark for generations of sailors. There, beside the lighthouse keeper’s cottage and the snapping Chilean flag, we spotted another albatross. This one is rendered in steel, a beautiful monument to all the mariners that lost their lives in the furious seas to the south.
Our day continued with a presentation on the biology and conservation of albatross from Richard, another on ice and glaciology from Karen, the usual parade of delicious meals and some time to reflect on our adventures in Antarctica. For many days now we have been busy, in and out of the Zodiacs, hiking in the snow, working on the perfect penguin photo, basking in the sunshine and leaning into the wind. Now we have a few moments to begin to remember all the stories of our expedition, quiet hours in which we start to realize what our experiences in the Antarctic will mean to us in years to come.
Afternoon found us cruising past the Wolleston Islands and into the mouth of the Beagle Channel. Here we took aboard the pilot who would guide us back into Ushuaia, completing the long circle of our journey. We’re busy packing up, suitcases full of clothes and books and boots, minds full of memories.
