Pourquoi-Pas Island, Gaul Cove (Horseshoe Island), 2/7/2022, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Antarctica
We woke up early this morning to take advantage of the calm weather. We set out to explore Pourquoi-Pas Island, named after Charcot’s second Antarctic expedition ship. We hiked up the island’s moraine to gain lovely views of the bay. We also enjoyed a leisurely walk along the shore. Along the way, we spotted a few more Adelie penguins, skuas with their chicks, kelp gulls, a Weddell seal and a crabeater seal swimming through the water.
In the afternoon, we explored a brand-new area on Horseshoe Island, pioneering a new hike up one side and down the other into Gaul Cove. We enjoyed beautiful views of the cove and glacier. The hike was full of beautiful pink granite and stunning geological views all around.
With an insatiable curiosity, Ezra has been drawn to travel the world and explore from a young age. Ezra pursued a degree in History from Colorado College, which only further piqued his interest to travel and see firsthand the places that he had read...
National Geographic Resolution arrived to Fortuna Bay early in the morning under a cloud-covered sky. The protection of the bay created a nice relief from the winds. We landed our long hikers shortly after breakfast so they could begin their trek over the headlands to the colony. We then repositioned the ship toward the head of the bay to land the rest of our guests. Fortuna Bay is known as the final leg of Shackleton’s route across the island, and it is home to a large king penguin colony. After we sailed to nearby Hercules Bay, we were treated to conditions calm enough for kayaking and Zodiac cruising. With so much wildlife in the area, guests had some wonderful encounters, especially with the colony of macaroni penguins low on the cliffs of the bay. The ever-fickle weather brought sunshine and light snow flurries, embodying the nature of the island.
The guests and crew of National Geographic Endurance awoke this morning to fog, driving snow, 40 knot winds and rolling seas. They would have never known this until they looked out the windows, as our impressive ship cut through it all in quiet comfort. We passed Charcot Island before dawn and headed roughly east-northeast toward Adelaide Island, many hours yet distant. This gave some of us the opportunity to relax. Others learned a little more about the ship. A handful of guests took to the bridge for a tour of the ship’s nerve centre, where they learned more about the ship’s capabilities and met those who steer her. Later in the morning, naturalist Erin Britton gave a thorough presentation on emperor penguins. We were lucky enough to find a number of these individuals in the previous couple of days. We learned that emperors are the largest penguin species, but in many ways perhaps the most vulnerable. Their breeding cycle relies on the presence of sea ice, which is affected by the warming seas. Undersea Specialist Christine West gave a presentation on the history of Antarctic diving. Pioneering men and women who explored this icy world from below the surface needed special equipment from the start. We learned about early experimentation with bulky helmets and suits straight from a Jules Verne book to the sophisticated and much safer modern dry suits and masks worn today. After dinner we approached Red Rock Ridge, near Rymill Bay. Originally named Île Pavie by the explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1909, it was renamed to its current designation by John Rymill’s British Graham Land Expedition 27 years later. The name stuck. For us, it was an opportunity for a mile-long walk to a nesting colony of Adelie penguins. Most of the chicks were clearly approaching the end of their fledgling stage. Sharing the edges of the nesting areas were several brown skua nests. The adults diligently protected their very fluffy young chicks while their partners went out to find food for them both. Some of us were lucky enough to see an adult return to the nest, feed the chick and then their partner, before swapping roles and taking over nest duties. It was a late return to the ship, but another unique experience south of the Antarctic Circle.
