Today was the last day of land expedition for guests on this amazing voyage through Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands. Early in the morning, National Geographic Explorer slipped into the bay of Steeple Jason Island. The Falklands are rarely visited by our ships due to challenging landing conditions, but our expedition leader, Lucho, and Captain Yuri located a safe spot for a landing. The winds had calmed and the bay was very sheltered.
Steeple Jason was named by Captain John MacBride who had been sent by the British Admiralty to survey the Falkland Islands on his ship HMS Jason. This island is famed for having the largest black-browed albatross colony in the world, with an estimated population of around 157,000.
Guests were happy to stretch their legs on a casual hike over the island terrain, walking through tussock areas and passing by the black-browed Albatross colony and the playful Gentoo penguins in their colony. Members of the ship’s crew, including Captain Yuri and Hotel Manager Anders, also came ashore to take some time from their normal busy routine.
Other guests took Zodiac cruises along the shoreline of the island, watching penguins play, and sea lions and fur seals swimming around the Zodiacs and kelp beds. All in all, it was a great way to end this fantastic voyage.
