From a spectacular sunrise over Antarctic ice to a rare "green flash" sighting in California's Channel Islands National Park, the skies were especially beautiful this week.
Today we had a true Antarctic expedition. We started our day at Danco Island where we had the chance to hike to great heights and take in the scenery all around us. Gentoo penguins were in constant motion up and down the penguin highways, making their way to the sea. We then repositioned to Chiriguano Bay where we offered Zodiac cruises and kayaking inside of this super scenic bay.
This morning, National Geographic Orion cruised into the fjords of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest National Park, Piopiotahi Milford Sound. From the entrance of Piopiotahi all the way to the back of the sound in Harrison Cove, guests spotted the rare Fiordland crested penguins occasionally popping up to the surface along the edges of the cliff faces. The ship lowered Zodiacs at Stirling Falls (approximately 495 feet tall), and a few rounds of Zodiacs explored the sound from water level. The waters of Piopiotahi Milford Sound are rich with life, which became abundant as guests observed the acrobatics of New Zealand fur seals lunging through schools of fish at the surface. This afternoon, weather allowed the expedition team to arrange a stop in Thompson Sound to explore the coastline by Zodiac. In the evening, National Geographic Orion will make its way to Dusky Sound, a spectacularly remote stretch of Fiordland.
This morning, National Geographic Explorer guests awoke to calm seas and little wind in Orleans Strait. After breakfast we dropped anchor in Mikkelson Harbor and the fog lifted as we headed to the small island of D’Hainaut (aka Bombay) for our morning landing. At the landing, there was evidence of the area’s past in the form of ribs of an old boat peeking through the snow. Before we headed up the hill to the gentoo colony, a naturalist shared the history of whaling in the area and the floating factories that moored here in the summers of 1910-1917. Whale bones around the water boat helped to tell the story of this interesting, yet grim past. Exploring further from the landing, we observed the amazing dynamics of the gentoo colony. After lunch the ship headed south to Cierva Cove along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. We jumped into Zodiacs and spent the afternoon exploring the incredible glacial ice while the ship headed towards the head of the fjord and the face of Breguet Glacier. We could not have asked for a more perfect day. Calm conditions in the morning and bluebird skies in the afternoon.
Shortly after sunrise, coffee in hand, I made my way to the bridge. A pretty sunrise greeted me with the islands of Cape Horn visible over 50 miles away. I knew it would be a nice day. Southern royal albatross flew by, traveling all the way from their nesting grounds in New Zealand. After rounding the horn, we made our way into the Beagle Channel. Here, we saw some dusky and Peale’s dolphins and even a few sei whales. We continued to Ushuaia, completing the circle of this amazing voyage to Antarctica.
Today, National Geographic Quest welcomed the sunrise in front of “Cocos” beach, a popular destination for locals to swim, and for us, the starting point of our expedition today. We arrived at Hacienda Guachipelin, a very large private property right next to the national park where our entire group took part in different excursions. We enjoyed ourselves and had a great day, either ziplining in a canyon above a river, hiking inside the local version of Yellowstone in the Rincon de la Vieja Park, visiting the famous Oropendola Waterfall, or just chilling at the hot springs. In between all the activities, we enjoyed delicious Costa Rican food, including handmade tortillas. We indulged enough to keep us active all day.
