Sunday found us underway across the Scotia Sea after bidding a sad farewell to South Georgia Island. It had been a sun-filled visit, but it seemed that bad weather was on the horizon, so our best bet was to head out of the Drygalski Fjord Saturday evening and sail southeast toward Coronation Island. The Scotia Sea is the area of water between Tierra del Fuego, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Normally stormy and cold, the weather for our voyage was tolerable with maximum 4-5 meter seas and 30 knot winds. Dinnertime found us rolling into fog with radar showing a 3km tabular iceberg off in the distance. This could have thrown an unexpected delay into our plans, but around midnight the fog cleared and National Geographic Orion sailed off at the expected speed.
3/12/2025
Read
National Geographic Endurance
At Sea towards Ushuaia
It was a day for reflection. Our journey was coming to an end as we left the Falklands behind and National Geographic Endurance steamed towards South America and Ushuaia. The seas were kind to us, and despite low winds, we had black-browed albatross, among other birds, around us. In the morning, we listened to the naturalists onboard as they presented on different subjects in the ice lounge. Land-ho! Mid-morning we had land in sight, South America was appearing on the horizon. Upon entering the Beagle Channel, we saw possibly a hundred sei whales. While the seabirds were waiting for the wind on the surface, the whales were feeding a short distance from the ship. As our vessel waited for the pilot to arrive, we could still see whale blows in the distance. We enjoyed a teatime extravaganza with Chef Sara and her team. Cheese and wine brought most of the ship’s inhabitants to deck 8, and while sipping wine we watched sea lions, dolphins, and stunning views of Tierra del Fuego go by until it was time for Captain Aaron’s farewell toast. As much as we are reflecting on our expedition today, it has also been a day of celebration! It has been an incredible journey of many miles, great people, and wonderful experiences. Thank you all!







