Epic Antarctic Expedition

We visited the Antarctic Penninsula in 2018/2019 aboard the National Geographic Explorer. We enjoyed the trip but just got a taste of Antarctica. We did not get below the Antarctic Circle and did not see the deepest parts of Antarctica. We visited Iceland and East Greenland in the fall of 2023 aboard the National Geographc Endurance - a new Linblad Expeditions ship purpose-built for polar expeditions. This January we took the National Geographic Endurance on an Epic Antarctic Expedition. We left Ushuia, Argentina on December 30, 2023 and arrived in Dunedin, New Zealand on January 29, 2024. The expedition bypassed the upper Antarctic penninsula and made landfall on the lower penninsula. We went all along the Antarctic continent to the Ross Ice Shelf and McMurdo Sound. This was a planetary-scale expedition of roughly 6500 nautical miles - crossing many time zones and the international date line. We got as far south as is poossible on a ship and saw lots of ice, iceburgs, whales, seals, penguins, and birds. We visited some of the original Antarctic explorers huts and an Italian research base. We saw a lot of Antarctica and a part of the world few get to see. See below for the voyage map of our journey, compiled from the ship's navigation system, followed by a slideshow Care put together of her favorite slides throughout the trip. They follow in a day by day journal of photographs and videos of our trip.

Day 3 - January 1 - Drake Passage and the Antarctic Circle

We continued our second at-sea day across Drake Passage and down the edge of the Antarctic Penninsula - aiming for the elbow of the penninsula where it connects to the large Antarctic land mass. We have a number of briefings including biosecurity (there are very rigorous procedures to prevent introducing potentially hazardous organisms to Antarctica). We had the captain's welcome party and met Captain Aaron. Around 10:30 pm, we crossed the Antarctic Circle. We will remain below the Antarctic circle for about three weeks. As we moved south, we started to see icebergs - initially small and getting larger throughout the day. Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Drakes Passage and the Antarctic Circle.

Day 4 - January 2 - Marguerite Bay and Horseshoe Island

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Marguerite Bay and Horseshoe Island.

Day 5 - January 3 - Red Rock Ridge and Neny Fjord

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Red Rock Ridge and Neny Fjord.

Day 6 - January 4 - Alexander Island

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Alexander Island.

Day 7 - January 5 - Bellingshauen Sea

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Bellingshauen Sea.

Day 8 - January 6 - Peter I Island

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Peter I Island.

Day 9 - January 7 - At Sea - Amundsen Sea

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for the Amundsen Sea

Day 10 - January 8 - B22A

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for B22A

Day 11 - January 9 - Amundesen Sea

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for the Amundsen Sea

Day 12 - January 10 - Cape Burks

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cape Burks

Day 13 - January 11 - Go with the flow

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Go With The Flow

Day 14 - January 13 - Cape Colbeck, Bartlett Inlet

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cape Colbeck

Day 15 - January 14 - Bay of Whales

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Bay of Whales

Day 16 - January 15 - Ross Ice Shelf, Cape Crozier

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cape Crozier

Day 17 - January 16 - Cape Royds

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cape Royds

Day 18 - January 17 - Cape Evans

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cape Evans

Day 19 - January 18 - McMurdo Sound

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for McMurdo Sound

Day 20 - January 19 - Terra Nova Bay and Zuchelli Station

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Terra Nova Bay and Zuchelli Station

Day 21 - January 20 - Drygalski Ice Tongue

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for the Drygalski Ice Tongue

Day 22 - January 21 - Coulman Island

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Coulman Island

Day 23 - January 22 - Cape Adare

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Cape Adare

Day 24 - January 23 - Scott Island

Here is the Daily Expedition Report and Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Scott Island

Day 29 - January 28 - Dunedin

Here is the Daily Expedition Report for Dunedin.

Day 31- January 30 - Aukland