Today we visited Port Lockroy, a British research station built in 1944 as part of the secret Operation Tabarin, a large-scale effort to occupy the Antarctic Peninsula during World War II. Restored in 1996 by Antarctic Heritage Trust, these buildings stand as a testament to a dramatic time and provide insight into what it would have been like to live and work at a mid-century Antarctic base. In the afternoon, we celebrated the end of our time on the Antarctic Peninsula with a barbeque and polar plunge.
2/26/2025
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National Geographic Resolution
Crystal Sound and Detaille Island, Antarctica
National Geographic Resolution spent the day surrounded by icebergs and sea ice in Crystal Sound as the weather got sunnier throughout the day. Guests experienced Detaille Island during the morning activities. Everyone went on guided Zodiac rides around the island where we saw numerous crabeater seals and icebergs. We stopped to observe an Adelie penguin colony, including dozens of penguins waiting to jump in the ocean. Many people went on shore to see the historic research hut from 1956-58, including all the original canned food and equipment kept in pristine condition. Some guests climbed the snowy hill to see the top of the penguin colony across a deep ravine. In the afternoon, the ship cruised around Crystal Sound so we could see the sea ice, glacial icebergs, and huge tabular icebergs. There were beautiful blue sea caves and arches in many of the icebergs, as well as dozens of crabeater seals on the sea ice. However, two humpback whales stole the show when they appeared in the sea ice near the ship. We could hear their loud exhaling and see them diving up close. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, enjoying a presentation, cocktail hour, recap, and dinner as the sun showed brightly in the west. What a perfect day to end our awesome week in Antarctica.
