Scotia Sea & South Georgia
In the early morning hours, we were awoken by an increase in the force of the seas around the National Geographic Explorer. At first we were taking the waves on our bow, which made the ride a little uncomfortable, and there were a few less people at breakfast. But as the day wore on, the winds and waves changed slightly to our beam, and it was a much smoother ride as we headed toward our goal of Cooper Bay on South Georgia.
Finally, we were getting close to the island, and an air of anticipation was growing amongst everyone on board. Suddenly, the force of the winds increased dramatically, and the waves grew in size until we heard the announcement from the bridge that we had hurricane force winds of 100 miles an hour. It was spectacular to see such power come up in a very short time; everyone was amazed by the sudden change.
The Captain made an attempt to get us close in to Cooper Bay to have a look at the possibility of any activity there, but the winds and sea were too much and we turned away to head for an alternative place to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening.
This was Drygalski Fiord, a protected inlet on the southeast corner of South Georgia. The cruise there was spectacular, with strong winds and large icebergs, but once we entered into its protection, the winds dropped considerably and the waves were almost completely gone.
At the head of the fiord, we spent some time in front of the glaciers, and were treated to a great wildlife show, with Fur seas, penguins and a large amount of other bird life. Before dinner, Paul Nicklen, our National Geographic photographer, entertained us with some amazing photos and stories about being on assignment.
Finally, we had our evening recap, dinner, and went to bed hoping for better conditions in the morning for our first landing on South Georgia!
In the early morning hours, we were awoken by an increase in the force of the seas around the National Geographic Explorer. At first we were taking the waves on our bow, which made the ride a little uncomfortable, and there were a few less people at breakfast. But as the day wore on, the winds and waves changed slightly to our beam, and it was a much smoother ride as we headed toward our goal of Cooper Bay on South Georgia.
Finally, we were getting close to the island, and an air of anticipation was growing amongst everyone on board. Suddenly, the force of the winds increased dramatically, and the waves grew in size until we heard the announcement from the bridge that we had hurricane force winds of 100 miles an hour. It was spectacular to see such power come up in a very short time; everyone was amazed by the sudden change.
The Captain made an attempt to get us close in to Cooper Bay to have a look at the possibility of any activity there, but the winds and sea were too much and we turned away to head for an alternative place to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening.
This was Drygalski Fiord, a protected inlet on the southeast corner of South Georgia. The cruise there was spectacular, with strong winds and large icebergs, but once we entered into its protection, the winds dropped considerably and the waves were almost completely gone.
At the head of the fiord, we spent some time in front of the glaciers, and were treated to a great wildlife show, with Fur seas, penguins and a large amount of other bird life. Before dinner, Paul Nicklen, our National Geographic photographer, entertained us with some amazing photos and stories about being on assignment.
Finally, we had our evening recap, dinner, and went to bed hoping for better conditions in the morning for our first landing on South Georgia!
