We have enjoyed amazing ocean crossings during this expedition to the Falklands and South Georgia. And ocean crossings aboard National Geographic Explorer are not about downtime. They are filled with interesting presentations that inform us about what we will see or give us more details about what we have been experiencing. It is also a time to go over some of the amazing photographic opportunities that we have enjoyed on this expedition. Our last passage of the trip from West Falkland to the southern part of Tierra del Fuego was no different, we awoke to views of Southern Argentina and Staten Island or Isla de los Estados. Albatrosses and other seabirds flew around the ship as we quickly made our way towards the protected Beagle Channel where we would turn west and skirt the border between Chile and Argentina—the channel is both a natural and geographic boundary of the two countries. There were a few presentations and a briefing about disembarkation from the ship and all the logistics involved. We didn’t want to necessarily think about leaving the ship or the end of the trip, but all great things must come to an end. This expedition has been an amazing experience for us all as we explored the Falkland Islands and then on to South Georgia, one of the premiere wildlife destinations in the world. We have now closed the loop and returned to where we began. Many of us thought about that as we packed our belongings and our memories from this incredible expedition.
3/14/2022
Read
National Geographic Explorer
Ushuaia, Argentina
A storm system redirected National Geographic Explorer to dock in Ushuaia one day earlier than anticipated at the beginning of the trip. Our last day together was spent touring the countryside of Ushuaia via buses organized by our wonderful team of agents based in the area. These agents provided a day full of breathtaking landscapes and an assortment of weather patterns. The buses served as a comfortable transport to two different lakes, Lake Escondido and Lake Fagnano. Lake Escondido is also known as Hidden Lake. It earned this name by often being covered in a thick layer of fog that conceals its location. We were lucky the winds were strong enough to provide us with a view at the photo stop alongside the road. At Lake Fagnano, our guests were invited to stroll along the marsh to look for birds. After our visits to the lakes, we were escorted to the top of Ushuaia, giving us a great view for our lunch before returning to the ship. A great day of forest views, snow, and peat bogs.







