Parque Marino Francisco Coloane and Chilean Fjords

View all info

  • Daily Expedition Reports
  • 02 Mar 2022

Parque Marino Francisco Coloane and Chilean Fjords, 3/2/2022, National Geographic Endurance

  • Aboard the National Geographic Endurance
  • Patagonia

Early in the morning, heavy clouds covered the mountains and fjords when the sun tried to come through, creating an incendiary red-orange-yellow atmosphere. Most of the morning was decidedly wet. Winds from the southwest Pacific, charged with moisture picked up from the ocean, crash against the Andes and discharge all their might. Luxurious forests and glaciers can exist in these latitudes due to the weather systems. We found a number of seabirds and whales during the day as we navigated through one of the first protected marine areas of southern South América. We made our way to Puerto Natales, which will be our port of call for our visit to the world famous Torres del Paine National Park.

Article by

Santiago Imberti, Naturalist

An ornithologist, photographer, fisherman, climber, and writer, Santiago Imberti was born and raised in southern Patagonia, Argentina. He obtained a degree in tourism and later in ornithology, which allowed him to combine his love for nature and the ...

Read More

Previous Article

Acklins Island

Next Article

Santa Cruz Island

Southern Patagonia: Glaciers, Fjords & Wildlife

VIEW ITINERARY

Sign Up for Daily Expedition Reports

Fields with an asterisk (*) are required.

Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition

Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family

*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.

Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday, during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.

Related Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

3/13/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

Ushuaia, Patagonia, Argentina

We returned a day early to Ushuaia to take refuge at the port before a storm arrived. The storm could have potentially delayed our port call, causing people to miss flights back to the United States. We took full advantage of the extra time in port and explored the beautiful surroundings of Ushuaia.   In the morning, we ventured out to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. We went on a few walks through the southern beech forests, saw the post office at the end of the world, and visited the Pan-American Highway, which ends in the national park and begins all the way up in Alaska. In the afternoon, we had another excursion to the opposite end of the town, up through Garibaldi Pass, and ending with a walk down to Lake Escondido. We wrapped up the day with farewell cocktails with the Captain.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/12/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

Observatory Island & Lighthouse at the End of the World- Isla de los Estados

Saturday morning began with National Geographic Endurance exploring Isla de los Estados off the eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego. First up for the daily adventures was a Zodiac cruise around Observatory Island. Wildlife abounds here, and there was a chance to see cormorants and fur seals. In the afternoon, everyone went ashore for a fun hike to see the Lighthouse at the End of the World, which was the location of the novel by Jules Verne. While the hikers explored on land, the divers explored the kelp forests just offshore. Another great day!

Daily Expedition Reports

3/11/2022

Read

National Geographic Endurance

Staten Island

Today National Geographic Endurance arrived at Staten Island. The Argentinian government has only allowed visitors in the last few years, Lindblad being the first. We invited a number of observers onboard, and we attempted to find a suitable landing this morning. The weather was not on our side, however, and we decided to explore using Zodiacs instead. Fortunately, nature had our backs, and we found an impressively large and relatively easy to observe colony of rockhopper penguins! These charismatic birds tend to raise their chicks on inaccessible cliffs facing the sea. Here, we observed hundreds of adults and chicks in the later stages of moulting before heading out to sea. The waves were best described as “energetic” and there was a constant light rain, but our guests wouldn’t be denied a glimpse of these penguins! We were able to get close enough for some decent photography of the penguins under challenging lighting conditions. Those without cameras took out their binoculars, and it wasn’t long before the rain and the waves seemed to wash away.   Following another hearty lunch, we landed at the location of a former prison. All that remained were some fragments of wooden supports on the beach, a half-deconstructed stone hut, and a modest cemetery. We were able to reach the other side of the island relatively easily, towards Vancouver Bay. Upon our return, we were treated to the unusual sight of a solitary king penguin looking regal yet somewhat out of place at the edge of the beach.