This morning began at a leisurely pace as we made our way north toward Ushuaia. Despite its fearsome reputation, the Drake gave us little trouble under light winds and steel gray skies. These sea days provide premier opportunities to study pelagic birds, and the entire day there was a diverse attendance of petrels, prions, and albatrosses following our wake at close range. Of particular interest was a group of three Antarctic petrels that stayed with us for the entire morning. Inside the ship we had a wonderful series of talks about the ocean we sailed upon and the continent we were leaving behind. Plankton, ice, the history of whaling, and the long, strange prehistory of Antarctica all featured prominently. The wildlife show continued when a large group of fin whales were spotted in the distance. With some expert maneuvering from the bridge team, we all enjoyed great views of these enormous “greyhounds of the sea.” In the afternoon we had the chance to meet with our captain and some of the engineering team to learn about the inner workings of National Geographic Endurance. As always, the day ended with a lovely meal and some spectacular desserts.