Very early this morning we crossed the Antarctic Circle and continued as far as 67:50.202 South and 069:03.298 West. This is by far the furthest south any ship in the Lindblad fleet has made it within the past couple of years. There was surprisingly little ice but we definitely saw some massive bergs. Just after lunch as we were on approach to Jenny Island, just off of Adelaide Island, we encountered three playful minke whales. The afternoon activity consisted of an informative nature walk amongst the granite boulders and elephant seals of Jenny Island. The shore was packed with juvenile males waiting to complete their molting before returning to sea. Brown skuas, Weddell seals, Adelie penguins, and blue-eyed shags were all amongst the wildlife spotted. After dinner we headed back north on the east side of Adelaide Island through the stunning narrow pass rightfully named The Gullet.
2/27/2022
Read
National Geographic Explorer
The Drake Passage
Almost home. Land is in sight as we complete our crossing of the Drake Passage and draw within view of Cape Horn. As sunrise begins to illuminate the clouds, we see the blinking light of the Cabo de Hornos lighthouse. Expedition leader Lucho tells us about the poignant albatross sculpture dedicated to lost mariners and reads us the associated poem in Spanish and English. We are sailing in sheltered waters now, and the sea has reached the balmy temperature of more than 7° C. The seabirds we have learned to recognize in the open ocean–albatrosses, petrels, and prions–are now joined by others, such as imperial shags from Patagonia. Fur seals are once again frolicking near the ship. With formalities complete, there is time for a last series of presentations from our expedition staff, including: a lively account of the world-defining voyage of Ferdinand Magellan by naturalist Madalena Patacho, intriguing ‘Behind the Scenes’ insights into the life of an undersea specialist from Brett Garner, and more about the famous Endurance expedition under the leadership of Sir Ernest Shackleton. After making time for some excellent afternoon Swedish pancakes, we sailed the remaining stretch along the Beagle Channel and came at last to port in Ushuaia. We gathered in the lounge for farewell cocktails with our captain. We celebrated the wonders we experienced over the last ten days, the good friends we traveled with and with whom we shared our discovery of the Antarctic, and the glorious land of Antarctica–the seascapes, history, and wildlife. Where will we travel next? Photo caption: An avian harbinger of the coming day. Photo by Steve Backus
