Our final stop on the Antarctic Peninsula for this voyage and indeed this season, was at Paulet Island. As the Antarctic autumn progresses, we are seeing adult Adelie penguins heading out to sea, leaving their chicks to fend for themselves. Most of the chicks are gathering near the shoreline and moulting their down feathers, ready for a life at sea… assuming they can make it past the leopard seals.
2/23/2025
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National Geographic Endurance
Antarctic Sound
Excitement was high as we arrived in Antarctica today, marking the start of our expedition to the White Continent and beyond. Over lunch, massive tabular icebergs — once part of an ice shelf — began to appear all around us, sending guests rushing to the windows for photos. In the afternoon, we launched our fleet of Zodiacs for the first operation of the trip — a cruise along the brash ice. Despite the sharp wind chill, we had incredible first encounters with humpback whales and seals. Meanwhile, the undersea team, a unique program at National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, suited up for a scuba dive, capturing footage of krill swarms below the surface. Just when we thought the day couldn’t get better, an emperor penguin made a surprise appearance — a lucky sight this time of year. What a spectacular start to our Antarctic adventure!
