And so begins our last day aboard National Geographic Endurance… but certainly not the least! Our wake-up call this morning included a special note about the wonderful array of albatrosses soaring around us as we made our way back toward the tip of South America. The day was filled with a variety of presentations by the naturalist team, from conservation-focused education to stories from the field of photography and documentary filmmaking. In between talks, we enjoyed a few exciting breaks as we passed by the legendary Cape Horn and were treated to even more legendary Swedish pancakes! To round out a fantastic day concluding an incredible trip, we gathered for the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party and the slideshow of our photos from the trip… but it didn’t end there! We couldn’t possibly be sent home without an epic asado dinner and a show by the amazing Endurance crew band, the Shackletunes!!! As declared by our fearless expedition leader, Jamie Coleman: Antarctica completed.
12/3/2024
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National Geographic Resolution
Lemaire Channel and Pleneau Island
The soft rolling of our ship genteelly woke us up to serene morning. Through bouts of low fog, we charged on, and luck was on our side, as we had made enough speed across the Drake Passage to arrive earlier than anticipated to Antarctica. We spotted our first icebergs, looming mountains in the distance, and scattered blows of opportunistic humpbacks that the energy on the ship began to manifest. After lunch, our bridge team expertly navigated us through one of the most stunning passages on the Antarctic Peninsula, the Lemaire Channel. Towering mountains, volcanic in origin, now smothered with thick blue glaciers cascading straight into the sea all around us. Awesome isn’t strong enough a word to describe the drama of the scene. National Geographic Resolution settled among massive icebergs near Pleneau Island for our first landing. Boots and parkas donned, our fleet of Zodiacs brought us all to shore. The gentoo penguins charmed us all with their antics, posing coyly for the cameras before continuing on their industrious journeys. The clouds parted, allowing the sun to illuminate the vast landscape. With rosy cheeks and bright smiles, we claimed the expedition a success and returned to prepare for the next day.
