People come to Antarctica for so many things—the lure of penguins, the hope to see humpback whales feeding in chorus, and of course the sculptures of ice. What you hope for though, is the unexpected, the rare, and the unbelievable. Today began with a landing at Petermann Island that had our guests surrounded by penguins once again, but the afternoon had us heading south toward one of the most magnificent events to witness in the Southern Ocean. A pod of killer whales chose to target a lone crabeater seal upon the ice, and with deft manoeuvres and coordinated attack they made multiple attempts to wash the seal from the ice. Though they successfully stole it from its perch over a dozen times, the seal was determined to remain among the living – leaping out of the water again and again to avoid the hungry mouths of the largest dolphin on our planet. And just when the crabeater seemed exhausted, and the killer whales rounded for the final assault—the seal managed to slip away, leaving the whales to scatter in search of the meal that got away.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 02 Jan 2018
Petermann Island & Beyond, 1/2/2018, National Geographic Explorer
- Aboard the National Geographic Explorer
- Antarctica
Paul North, Undersea Specialist
Paul North is the founder of the educational nonprofit Meet the Ocean and host of its online podcast. As a polar diver with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic, he tours the remote underwater landscapes of Antarctica and other sub-zero destinati...
Read MoreBradford McArthur, Video Chronicler
Bradford McArthur has been shooting film and photos since the 1990's (pre-digital dinosaur!) Committed to filming isolated regions and untold stories through a message of conservation, McArthur founded Forever Exploring Productions in 2009. As a form...
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Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands
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Until now, we have skirted the mercurial weather of the South Atlantic. Though the sun has been rare, we have been lucky with calm seas and easy access to some of the most exciting landing sights South Georgia and the Falklands have to offer. Today, as our trip nears its end, we had the opportunity to experience a small taste of the conditions that make this such a notorious region for seafarers and explorers. With sustained winds of up to 50 knots wrapping around Cape Horn, the ocean quickly began to churn. Our captain and bridge team found us shelter in the Beagle Channel where we spent the day appreciating the power of the ocean and the biodiversity of Tierra del Fuego. While onboard in the comfort of our new ship/home, National Geographic photographer Camille Seaman shared a collection of photographs she took throughout the last two weeks. Naturalists Madalena Pachaco and Bud Lenhausen shared stories of exploration and changing climates. Photo caption: The chart shows our way to protection from the storm in the Beagle Channel. Photo by Alex Krowiak
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Le Maire Strait and Beagle Channel
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