Today’s adventure started slightly earlier than most days as we entered the Lemaire Channel around 6 a.m. The weather, a little moody, only added to one of the most scenic channels on the Antarctic Peninsula. After breakfast we landed at Port Charcot on Booth Island; not only did we get to see nesting gentoo penguins and snow algae, but after a short hike we also got to visit a cairn put up by Charcot and his crew during their 1904 winter-over. After we finished our visit it was decided that we would head south and see if we could cross the Antarctic Circle. Unfortunately the sea ice was too heavy but Captain Oliver Kruess treated us to some impressive ice navigation as Chief Engineer Athanasios Katsoulis, and his crew keeps our ship running.
2/28/2025
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Northbound Drake Passage, Cape Horn, and the Beagle Channel
This morning, we had a later start than usual after a late night enjoying the crew show. Our galley team gifted us with a fulfilling brunch. We then had a brilliant forum about climate change with the participation of our panel of experts onboard. Afterward, our expedition leader called us to the bow to see Cape Horn, which was only a few miles ahead. The good weather allowed us to have a smooth and fast crossing, allowing extra time to swing by Cape Horn, the most southern tip of the Americas. Over the PA system, Steven provided a very interesting description of the historical importance of this area, then Pablo read a beautiful poem, a memorial to the seaman lost at sea. We could see the monument in the distance, two metal sheets that depict an albatross in flight. During the afternoon, we enjoyed Madalena’s presentation about Women in Antarctica. This was an incredible voyage through the struggles and delays of allowing women to participate in science and logistics in Antarctica. We entered the Beagle Channel around 17:00 and we encountered black-browed albatrosses, cormorants, dolphins, and whales. On our final approach to the beautiful city of Ushuaia, we passed by Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and some of the seals that live in the Bridges Islands Archipelago.
