These are the kind of days that linger in our hearts and minds for a long time to come. We awoke to an early morning wake-up as we felt the “bump” of the Antarctic Circle—66 degrees, 33 minutes south. As Captain Oliver Kruess eloquently navigated the National Geographic Explorer through the pack ice, we enjoyed a morning watching the sea ice mingle between outcrops of glacially calved icebergs.
At our southernmost point on this journey—67 degrees 03 minutes south—several bold terrestrial mammals braved the 29 degree water and tested their thermoregulatory abilities in the polar plunge! And, goodness, what strange vocalizations they made as the cold water punctured their brave faces!
The afternoon took us ashore at the remnants of Base W on Detaille Island, where we enjoyed a lovely hike overlooking an icy bay.
