Today’s landing is bittersweet as it will be our final landing on the White Continent before sailing back to South America. A colony of Gentoo penguins provided us with our first peek at the next generation of penguin chicks as we hiked around Jougla Point at Port Lockroy. Whale bones are still found on this site and provide reminders of the whaling station that once thrived here. In addition, Port Lockroy was established as a military base by the United Kingdom during World War II. The station has been reconstructed and is currently managed by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust.
Prior to boarding the zodiac, I took a few minutes at Port Lockroy to record a farewell tribute to my Antarctic Expedition and thanked Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton for inspiring me to journey to this pristine ecosystem. My gratitude was also shared with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic for the development of their Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship Program and allowing me to fulfill my 15-year quest to explore the White Continent and to share my experiences with my students, colleagues, family, and friends. This has most certainly been the experience of a lifetime and one that I will never forget.
Today’s Daily Program Quote:
“Strange. There is always sadness on departure. It is as if one cannot after all bear to leave this bleak waste of ice, glaciers, cold and toil…”
— Fridtjof Nansen, 1912
Today’s Sunlight Data:
Sunrise: 0224
Sunset: 2341
The journey continues here: “Leaving the Southern Continent”