The sun rose slowly over tabular icebergs as we entered the Weddell Sea. Not long after, we were introduced to the most entertaining of Antarctic penguins, the Adelie penguin. The colony at Brown Bluff is in full swing. Most of the chicks are quite large now and require a considerable amount of food each day. We watched as penguin after penguin darted out to sea for their chick’s next meal. As we continued south in the Weddell Sea, we saw a male elephant seal resting on an ice floe and countless snow petrels. Between snow flurries, we got a glimpse of killer whales. The blowing snow shrouded their next move, and we will have to wait until tomorrow to try and find them again.
11/21/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
At Sea towards Ushuaia
After a memorable week exploring Antarctica, it was time to head back home towards Ushuaia. Our day in the Drake Passage was a pleasant one, with the seas staying relatively mild with the wind and swell from the northwest. We were treated to numerous presentations throughout the day from our excellent expedition staff. Eric kicked things off after breakfast with stories about ice before Justin shared his amazing experiences filming under frozen lakes on the Antarctic Continent. Following another wonderful lunch from the galley team, we enjoyed some birdlife outside and brief sightings of passing fin whales. Fi was next on the agenda, sharing some tips and tricks for sorting and editing our many photos from the trip. Teatime was a delight today with Swedish pancakes on the menu, and after a good feed, we enjoyed Josh’s talk on the Belgian Antarctic Expedition. Before we all retired to our cabins after dinner, there was one final lecture, with Captain Oliver sharing some tales about the construction of the ship and how it can navigate in these challenging, polar environments so comfortably and successfully.