Leaving the sheltered waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula, National Geographic Explorer fared the Drake Passage once again. Valentine’s Day celebrations took on a range of forms today—for some it was savoring eggs Benedict or sending sweet treats from across the globe, while others spent the day in bed in a much less romantic way (coping with the motion of the ocean). Despite the rolling waves, we prepared for arriving in Ushuaia, shared photos from a spectacular trip, and attended presentations given throughout the day. One of our naturalists, Dr. Rodolfo Werner, spoke about his efforts working to establish marine protected areas throughout Antarctic waters. In the afternoon, two of our globetrotting naturalists discussed exploration in Antarctica: Carl Eric Kilander highlighted the adventures of Roald Amundsen’s career as a polar explorer and Tom Ritchie shared some noteworthy tales of Lindblad’s own trailblazing endeavors.
2/27/2022
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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
