This morning began with humpback whales and beautiful blue skies over Ross Bay and Cape Obelisk on James Ross Island. Ambitious hikers were welcomed ashore by young Weddell seals as we set off to explore the volcanic landscape around the bay. Meanwhile, our photo instructor and National Geographic photographer led a photo walk around the ice sculptures that high tide had deposited on the shore. At the same time, expedition divers Christine and Nick explored what is below the sea offshore.
Following lunch, expedition naturalist Tim Martin gave a presentation on the geology of Antarctica, including details and images from volcanic features and 60-million-year-old fossils found earlier in the morning.
Later, we navigated to Devil Island on the north side of James Ross Island. For our late afternoon operations, many guests climbed over the saddle between the mountains to observe the Devil Island penguin colony.
Following dinner, naturalist Steve Zeff presented observations from his experiences in Antarctica over the last twenty years. Captain Heidi and Navigation Officer Nicole deftly steered National Geographic Resolution to an unforgettable encounter with large tabular icebergs in the Antarctic Sound.
