Today was a truly Antarctic day in which we experienced two of the many, in this case opposite, faces of humankind. Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered and yet, in a very short period of time we managed to have a profound impact on its environment. During the morning, we visited an island and harbor that were used in the not-so-distant past by whalers as a base for processing their catch. Thousands of whales were slaughtered in the area and many blue whale skulls and other bones remain on the beach to remind us of those times. In the afternoon, the opposite side of our interaction with these gentle giants took place. We had a glorious few hours floating in our Zodiacs while some 60 humpback whales fed so close to us that we could smell them! Two sides of the same history came together to show us how we can actually change, learn from our mistakes, and make a difference.
2/28/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
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.









