After an indescribably amazing day south of the Antarctic circle everyone slept like babies, while the bridge team was busy navigating north through the ice and sometimes thick fog. We were slowly returning into the Grandidier Channel and towards the Gerlache Strait.
This morning everyone had a chance to sleep in which was surely much appreciated. At 7:30 a.m. our expedition leader Doug woke us up gently with an update on our progress. He mentioned that National Geographic Orion was travelling through thick fog, which had slowed us down. So instead of onshore activities this morning, we had a presentation and we would most likely do some kayaking and Zodiac cruising in the afternoon.
Most of us didn’t really mind, as it gave us a chance to catch up on some rest, go through our photographs, catch up with each other, and just relax in the comfort of our beautiful ship.
At 11:00 a.m. our National Geographic photographer Massimo invited us into the lounge for his own personal fascinating story about living in a monastery for 12 weeks in silence. It was a different kind of presentation as he started the presentation in silence, which was then followed by monastery music accompanying his slideshow showing the fascinating images Massimo had captured of the monks and their routines in these 12 weeks. It certainly captured us all, as we all applauded afterwards. We then had a chance to ask as many questions as we wanted, so it became a very interactive Q&A session.
During the morning some of us decided to spend some time on the other decks with a coffee just to take in the mesmerizing scenery and being on the lookout for potential wildlife. There were plenty of crabeater seals in the water and some saw Adelie penguins resting on the icebergs.
After a delicious lunch in the dining room it was time for action! The atmosphere outside was beautiful and calm with fog coming and going and the sun trying to penetrate through. The decision was made to go kayaking and Zodiac cruising amongst the ice, taking in the mesmerizing colors and reflections. About 30 guests decided to kayak and the rest joined the Zodiac cruise. A few seals were found resting on the ice, but overall it was a reasonable quiet afternoon for wildlife, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable or beautiful.
After our afternoon operations the team decided to offer a polar plunge, so the Captain repositioned the vessel to a place where there was a little less ice and more open water to make this a safe activity. Many seemed very excited to jump in minus 2 (29 degrees Fahrenheit) icy waters. In the end we had 29 brave guests geared up in swimmers and bathrobes on the marina deck ready to go. All the rest of us offered emotional support from the outer decks. What a fun way to finish of a great day and afternoon!
At 6:00 p.m. we were all invited into the lounge for our usual recap and briefing in which we were updated on the next day’s activities.
During dinner the dining room was filled with conversations and laughter, reflecting on the wonderful day and days we’ve had so far.
