Daily Expedition Reports
29 Oct 2017

At Sea toward South Georgia, 10/29/2017, National Geographic Explorer

Aboard the National Geographic Explorer
Antarctica

After our busy days in the Falkland Islands, a day at sea gives us a chance to sleep in a bit, work on our photos, enjoy several presentations from the staff, and prepare for the adventures ahead. The highlights of the day included the delicious Mexican lunch and a talk from our global perspectives guest speaker, Greg Marshall, on his pioneering work investigating the hidden secrets of animals’ lives with his invention: the Critter Cam.

Article by

David Cothran, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

David has worked for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic since 1993 on six continents and in over 65 countries. David is interested in many of the natural sciences, particularly ornithology, geology and marine biology; he most enjoys contrasting...

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It takes almost two full days to transit from South Georgia to the Falkland Islands archipelago. Onboard National Geographic Explorer , this time can be occupied in many different ways. For some it was a time to catch up on the thousands of images captured while exploring the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. While at South Georgia, we were so occupied with our daily activities that many had not even peeked at what their photos had captured. Most people were quite happy with their results, and anxious to see what other guests had accomplished photographically. A full slate of shipboard presentations were also available, for people to enjoy and enhance their learning about the areas through which we’re traveling. Others spent time on the Bridge, checking on our progress across the Scotia Sea. Some ventured out on deck to the bow, or the aft sundeck, to watch or photograph the seabirds passing by. All in all, it was a delightful day at sea. We’re looking forward to the Falkland Islands ahead.

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South Georgia is now far behind us as we make our way across the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean towards our next destination, the Falklands. The sky is grey, the sea is grey, but memories of our days in South Georgia blaze with colour. Today is a day for reflection on all we have seen and learned, and for preparation for the days to come. Our first presentation of the day was a thought-provoking account from geologist Michael Jackson on the scientific basis behind climate change. We learned about the pioneering experiments of early scientists that led towards a modern understanding of how and why climate is changing, and the critical role of the Polar Regions. National Geographic Explorer ploughed on. Soon, changing air and water temperatures in addition to looming fog told us that we were crossing the Convergence (or the Antarctic Polar Front), passing from the cold waters of the Southern Ocean to the slightly warmer conditions of the Southern Atlantic. Next, naturalist Madalena Patacho gave a sparkling presentation about ‘The Ocean.’ She took us from the very creation of the earth itself and its first oceans, to the 11,000-metre depth of the Mariana Trench, around the world’s swirling warm and cold currents, to the final opening of the Southern Ocean. All of this creates a massive, unrestricted transport of water in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which is so important for the concentration of wildlife that thrives in this region. National Geographic photographer Camille Seaman concluded with a surprising window into her passion for knitting, a skill originally dominated by men, from its origins in the Middle East to its spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. Knitting’s excellent qualities were much appreciated by the polar explorers of the Heroic Age and by sailors everywhere, as her images showed. The ship pressed onward throughout the day. At times, the ocean swell was quite impressive, but National Geographic Explorer handles it all comfortably. At evening recap, our screens in the lounge were bright with undersea specialist Brett Garner’s footage of gliding king penguins.

At Sea toward South Georgia, 10/29/2017, National Geographic Explorer

David Cothran, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

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At Sea, toward the Falklands