Portal Point and Orne Islands, 2/22/2023, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Antarctica
Today we started our adventure by taking a short Zodiac ride to make a true continental landing. Guests had the chance to walk ashore at Portal Point, which led up to some nice views and a few whales nearby. We repositioned to Ronge Island and the Orne Islands for our afternoon ops of Zodiac cruises.
Nathan Kelley developed his love for nature as a kid at his family’s cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Family fishing trips, camping, hiking and a trip to his first National Park in the Everglades, all vigorously shaped his passion for the natural world. ...
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We started the day with a visit to a working farm owned by a family on Saunders Island. The main product of this farm is wool, and being that it’s the start of spring, sheering had just begun. We were able to see the whole process and marvel at the skill and speed of the workers sheering and selecting the wool. After the visit our guests were treated to an incredible barbecue lunch at the farm. In the afternoon, we repositioned the ship to another side of the island to visit the sea bird colonies. We saw a large black-browed albatross colony and just a few hundred meters away, a colony of southern rockhopper penguins. We had time to explore the area and understand more about the behaviors of these incredible birds, including their courtship rituals and how they care for their eggs. The breeding season has just started but we could see that there were already several nests with eggs in them.
There are few capital cities in the world that contain just 3000 people and where you can quite legitimately see everything there is to see in one day. Port Stanley is one of them. Sailing in on flat, mirror calm seas, National Geographic Endurance entered from the outer harbour beneath skies filled with birds – cormorants, geese, and the Falklands thrush. These islands, located as they are so many miles from the nearest landmass, have a unique ecology. We spent the day looking at plenty of it as we toured the town in the morning. Our local guides took us on a scenic tour of the nooks and crannies of Stanley. We lifted the lid on the history of the Lady Elizabeth , a rusting iron hulk of a sailing barque that was damaged as it rounded Cape Horn. Sinking our hands into moist peat above town, we reflected on the island’s recent past and its diversity.
The sun brought us calmer seas this morning. Impressive waves were handled quite well overnight, as National Geographic Endurance was built to do just that. The fog lifted this morning, and seabirds came back into view. Petrels and albatrosses graced the skies. As we sail toward the Falklands, we got an introduction to the birds of the islands, followed by a talk about the history of the Falklands and life on the islands by two staff members who grew up there! There is no better way to learn about a place than by listening to the locals. During lunch, Captain Oliver and the incredible Bridge team spotted type A killer whales! Everybody gathered on deck, and we were treated to a pod of about seven. It was a spectacular site to see out in the open ocean. Next stop: Stanley!