As we woke in sloppy seas en route to Gough Island, no one anticipated getting off the ship today. As we finished lunch and rounded this spectacular island though, we found calm seas and shelter not only for a Zodiac cruise but also for a landing. The combination of wildlife and dramatic scenery had cruisers singing the Jurassic Park theme tune whilst taking in thousands of northern rockhopper penguins and subantarctic fur seals. As we sailed away surrounded by albatross, shearwaters, and petrels, the sky turned the island from green to orange to pink.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 21 Mar 2024
Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha Archipelago, 3/21/2024, National Geographic Explorer
- Aboard the National Geographic Explorer
- New and Noteworthy
Jamie Coleman, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Jamie is from England. He grew up in Oxford, about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK, yet somehow decided he would work in marine biology and conservation. Ever since he reached his teens, he has dedicated time to this passion, working and...
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Cape to Cape: A Voyage from Cape Horn to Cape Town
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3/24/2024
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National Geographic Explorer
At Sea, Benguela Current
And so we awoke this morning to our daily announcement to learn that our nearest point of land was Cape Town, South Africa. Our journey from Cape to Cape may be nearing its final Cape, but the excitement at sea has not ended. Once again, we filled our day with a variety of presentations from the staff – from stories about making this crossing under sail, to learning about sustainable seafood, to live demonstrations about the mammalian dive reflex, to expert advice on telling a story with our photos of this expedition. To round off our day, we shared one final natural history recap before being treated to an extraordinary Filipino dinner – complete with a galley tour! – and a wonderful show by National Geographic Explorer’s crew band, The Spice Boys & Girls!
3/23/2024
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National Geographic Explorer
At Sea, South Atlantic Gyre
Pushed along by a favourable current and aided by slack winds, we made good eastward progress towards our ultimate stop: Cape Town. We are midway on our four-day passage. The nearest point of land is Gough Island in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. The curious-looking spectacled petrels were our constant companions today as they followed in our wake. It is a privilege to see so many of these rare and threatened seabirds.