Cape Horn and the Beagle Channel
Today our devoted expedition leader woke us up with an announcement: LAND AHEAD! Cape Horn was slowly growing on the horizon as we were steaming north. Cape Horn is a famous and sometimes infamous spot on the globe. Many mariners onboard the sailing ships racing from and to Australia from Europe or ships sailing from the US east to the west coast had to make it around this very dangerous, rugged and almost always wind-exposed site. Our passage was slightly different in a very cozy and comfortable environment on board National Geographic Explorer.
As we made the turn at Cape Horn, even we most sensitive travelers onboard felt how the sea became calm and slowly we sailed east with a set heading for the Beagle Channel. This body of water was explored by the English Captain Fitzroy aboard his ship Beagle. A few years later he was back, but this time he had a companion named Darwin on board. Maybe it was during the passage of the Beagle Channel that Darwin reading his geological books understood evolution. It is all about time and time is a very important factor in geology.
The day, our final day onboard the ship, was filled with activities. Lectures followed by great feeding frenzies off the ship as we saw bird concentrations gather over fish or krill. Also, our galley team continued to set up splendid food. The afternoon tea was peaked with Swedish pancakes. Many tried cloudberry jam and found it delicious.
Slowly we made our way for Ushuaia and it was time to summarize our adventure in a still very much pristine and almost untouched piece of land, or maybe better ice. Antarctica will always stand out and affect every visitor. It is the GREAT WHITE continent, the driest, the highest, the windiest, 90% of all glacier ice… The wildlife very much do not understand how badly humans over centuries have pounded different stocks. Here they approach us. Also to learn more about the early explorers who made it down south under totally different conditions makes us appreciate our adventure even more, as we sail onboard a very comfortable ship. I’m sure many of us will soon find a way to return and every voyage to Antarctica is unique and will always be the land of EXTREME!
