On Assignment

One of my goals while exploring Patagonia was to bring the immersive experience of Patagonia back to my students and community. I was very aware of the fact that even though I was physically there I wanted my students, colleagues, and the larger community to get a chance to "be there" too. If you missed the previous post about this, check it out here: 🎥Immersive Experience 

From left to right 1: Practing with my Insta360 x3 camera 2. Immersive technology gear on loan from National Geographic 3. Exploring the VR headset

With all my tech gear packed, I was ready to be "on assignment" and capture all the 360 views of Patagonia. I very quickly learned that being "on assignment" is much harder than it looks. The wind in Patagonia was so intense that there were many times I thought I was going to fall over or my phone was literally going to fly out of my hand. That is NO hyperbole. The wind was really that strong. Sadly my Insta360 camera and invisible selfie stick never stood a chance. I would say about 9 out of 10 times my Insta360 camera ended up on the ground blown over by the wind. 

Left 📸: Getting 360 views of Ushuaia Middle 📸: Getting 360 views of the Aguila Glacier  Right 📸: Impact of the wind on the 360 camera at the Aguila Glacier

Despite the elements, I was able to capture some truly beautiful 360 views of this magical land. Much like the fauna, flora, and fungi of this region, I had to quickly adapt to survive the harsh elements. I become masterful at anchoring down my tripod with rocks (sometimes even boulders) and even digging small holes to keep my camera upright. 

Insta360 camera anchored down with rocks at our landing location before we hiked to the Aguila Glacier

Ultimately I am working to create a 360 immersive experience of Patagonia to be viewed through a VR headset with accompanying learning materials. Until that editing is done here are a few 360 views of magical Patagonia.

 

Expedition Crew from Middleton

While I spent my days aboard the National Geographic Explorer and exploring the remote and pristine land of Patagonia, my expedition crew from home was busy at work. In the amazing hands of Mrs. Klipfel (yes, my mom was my substitute) my students might not have physically been in Patagonia with me but they followed along for every step. Every day my exact location and pictures were added to a hallway bulletin board so all of Howe-Manning could follow along. 

Each morning students completed a daily Patagonia slide to learn about where in the world I was exploring and a little more about this faraway land. These daily Patagonia slides were not just completed in my classroom and across Howe-Manning, but also with schools and teachers I'm connected with across the United States, and even by a group of students in England. 

Click here to view daily Patagonia Slides📎

My expedition crew from home was also busy playing Explorer BINGO. Each letter of BINGO stood for a different aspect of being an explorer. B stood for "Be on the Lookout For", I was "I See", N was "Not on Land or in the Sea", G stood for "Got to See Sea Animals" and O stood was "Other Explorer Things". Before I departed, students filled in their BINGO board with different aspects of my expedition such as "ate a Calafate berry", "used 360 camera", or "saw a rockhopper penguin". This was definitely a highlight for students. 

Mrs. Klipfel even used her fancy tech skills and green-screened the students in Patagonia with me. This was a fun surprise to get one morning and see how much my students were also learning about Patagonia without even making it home yet. Many of the National Geographic and Lindblad experts were very impressed not just with students' Patagonia knowledge but with their impressive technology skills.

Yes, my expedition was phenomenal but an aspect that made it extra special was having a large expedition crew from home following along and sharing in all the wonders Patagonia had to offer. You never know, hopefully, I will be their expedition crew from home someday as they set out to explore. 

📍Puerto Natales, Chile

We docked at Puerto Natales, Chile for the evening and set out to explore the port town for a bit. We visited local shops, saw the Halloween celebration in the town square, and. enjoyed the livelihood of the town. Puerto Natales even has a statue that is a monument to the wind, something that felt very fitting after the wild wind we experienced all expedition.  

The next morning we disembarked from the National Geographic Explorer and set out to explore an estancia, which is the name for a Patagonian ranch. The ranch we visited raised horses and even had Gauchos, the name for cowboys in this region. 

Our exploration took us on a trek to the top of a mountain while enjoying stunning views of the Prat Mountain Range and Laguna Sofia. I’m telling you the Andes are stunning 😍 

With one of my Grosvenor Teacher Fellow partner Mr. Smith

We hiked to a cave that was a Patagonian panther den during the Pleistocene era. There have also been remains of a saber-toothed tiger along with other animals found in this cave. It was a stunning hike to enjoy some of our last views of Patagonia.

We sadly had to say a final farewell to Patagonia. We loaded the bus and headed to the airport to begin our long trek home. It would take me over 24 hours to make it back to Boston. I can't yet put into words this experience. Patagonia was a truly magical place ✨ I'm heading back to my classroom as a changed educator with a million stories to share, a million questions to answer, and a million ideas to bring to life.

Sad to say goodbye to our naturalist mentor Alex and my Grosvenor Teacher Fellow partners

There is a local saying “el que se apura en la Patagonia, pierde el tiempo”, which sums up everything you need to know about Patagonia: “he who rushes in Patagonia, loses time” 💛

📍Kirke Narrows, Chile🏔️

Our captain knows how to navigate! Check out these views from the Kirke Narrows that he navigated like the back of his hands. The amazement of everyone on deck was almost palpable as we sailed through this narrow passage. Two zodiac boats had to head out before we even attempted this sail to ensure conditions allowed for a successful passage. If not we would have had to wait another day as you can only pass during slack tide and during daylight. 🌊

Ferdinand Magellan navigated this same region and it took his expedition most of November 1520 to find their way through the maze-like channels that lie between the continental mainland and Tierra del Fuego to the south 🌎

 

📍Bernal Glacier, Chilean Patagonia

Yesterday we set out to explore Bernal Glacier which is only accessible by boat through the Fiordo de las Montãnas aka Montana Fjords in the Southern Chilean Fjords. 🧊 We hiked a beautiful path through pools of icy turquoise lagoons, low vegetation, boulders, sand, and gravel to finally make it to see the blue hues of the glacier up close.

Left 📸 with Alex Searle my mentor while on expedition in front of the Bernal Glacier

We were able to walk right up to this glacier and actually touch it.  This area gave a great view of the rocks and gravel left behind as a glacier moves and carves out a valley in the mountains. I also learned that this is the glacier where the Patagonia Ice Dragon lives. This stonefly has special adaptations in its blood that keep it from freezing. Scientists have actually boiled this insect and it survived. Read more about it here. 

Looking at varying photos of the Bernal glacier over the years you can sadly see its ever-diminishing size. Climate change is causing it to rapidly melt away at some of the fastest rates on the planet (about 60 meters in less than one year). I feel lucky to have the privilege to witness the beauty of this glacier while it still exists. Here’s to hoping my students and future generations are so lucky 💛

 

📍Puerto Profundo, Chile

As we continued to head north on our voyage, we headed out to explore the remote haven of Puerto Profundo, nestled within the Patagonia fjords. 🌎 We took zodiacs through the sheltered bay to explore the intricate ecosystem of isles and mini fjords. It was truly a secluded and breathtaking world. If you pretended the wind was not there it almost felt like you were in the Caribbean.

We did some birding with our naturalist Javier who is a self-proclaimed bird nerd 😆 We shut the motor of our zodiac off and even had a speaker to play bird noises and draw the birds out. We were lucky enough to spot a green-backed firecrown hummingbird. This hummingbird is the sole hummingbird found in Tierra del Fuego showing magnificent resilience in adapting to the harsh environment.

Left: Neotropical cormorant taking flight.

Right: Green-backed firecrown, a beautiful jewel of the cold Patagonian fjords.

📸 credit: Javier Cotin

During our exploration of Puerto Profundo, we stopped by a local fishing boat and saw their southern king crab catches. These fisherman will remain on their ships from July to December. A fast ship comes every 10 days to pick up their catches and deliver supplies. 

Most of these king crabs end up on dinner tables in the United States showing a new connection of home to these icy waters. Funny enough they do have Netflix and Tik-Tok on their ship. 😆

Local fishermen's boats.

📸 credit: Javier Cotin

The stories of the determined fishermen, the mesmerizing wildlife, and the untamed beauty of this land remain a testament to the undiscovered wonders of our planet.🌍

 

📍Karukinka National Park, Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego translates to “Land of Fire” and is one of Patagonia’s crown jewels. Today we had the privilege of going to Jackson Bay within the Karukinka National Park 😍 Karukinka is a private national park in Tierra del Fuego donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society by Goldman Sachs. There are no roads that lead to this part of Tierra del Fuego so the only way to access it is by water and with special permission.

View we were greeted with when we arrived on shore

When we arrived early in Jackson Bay it was littered with not only elephant seals and their pups but plastic galore (much more on that later.) The population of elephant seals here is actually lower this year due to the bird flu that is harming many animals in this region of the world. The darker ones you see in the pictures are the pups. This is when you really need audio as the noises of these elephant seals are an array of burps and farts on repeat 😂  

Middle 📸 credit: naturlaist Alex Searle

Some fun facts about elephant seals are that male elephant seals are 50% larger than females. Elephant seals have adapted to be able to hold their breath underwater for up to 2 hours! They have a higher volume of blood to store oxygen and they even slow down their heart rate from 90 beats per minute to only 3 by sleeping as they dive!

We hiked through a subantarctic forest up to a waterfall where we found guanaco bones, observed Andean condors flying over the mountains, and enjoyed lots of time on the beach observing the elephant seals.

Andean Condor flying overhead
📸Photo by naturalist Alex Searle

 

📍Ainsworth Bay, Chilean Fjords

Yesterday afternoon we explored Ainsworth Bay, another location in the never-ending maze of the Chilean Fjords. We zodiaced from ship to shore through icy water filled with glaciers and icebergs. We landed on a sandy beach with the Andes and numerous glaciers surrounding us. Truly I don't think I will ever get sick of glaciers, icebergs, or the Andes. As the saying goes these photos don't even do it justice. I find myself numerous times throughout the day just in awe that I get to experience the beauty of this world and contemplating how I can even bring this feeling back to my students. 

At the start of the hike, we made our way to a beautiful weeping willow wall. We stopped for a moment to just listen to the dripping water from the mountains. 

During our hike, we saw the devastation the North American beavers are doing to the beech trees in Patagonia. In 1946, the Argentinian government brought 30 North American beavers to Patagonia in a failed attempt to start a fur trade. In this area, the beavers have no natural predators so they continue to destroy the forests with no one stopping or slowing them down. The Chilean government now estimates that there are more than 100,000 in Chile alone. The government is hunting and trapping them but the beavers have figured out how to set off the snares by placing sticks in them. Not only are they turning forests into wetlands but by flooding the area it causes the CO2 that was trapped in the ground to be released. Another very harmful thing for the environment. This is truly a problem that both governments are working together to try and solve.

As we walked through this area you could not only see the woodchips but smell them too. It looked and smelled like a human had recently used a machine to freshly make woodchips. The devastation to this area by these beavers was evident. 

Left 📸: Southern Cross Right 📸 Jupiter (click to enlarge) 

That evening back onboard, the National Geographic Explorer, we watched the sunset and got a lesson from naturalist Dan on how to navigate by the southern stars. We were able to spot the Southern Cross, Jupiter, and Saturn. It’s interesting to be in the Southern Hemisphere as there are different star groups that we don’t see up north. 

 

📍Aguila Glacier & Agostini Fjord, Chile

Today was an action-packed day on the National Geographic Explorer as we explored the Magallanes Region of Chile at the foot of Cordillera Darwin. After a short zodiac trip to shore, we landed on a pebble beach where branches of southern beech trees reached out to greet us. We hiked along the beach before rounding the corner to be greeted by the Aguila Glacier reflected in a tidal lagoon.🧊 I’m not sure I’ll ever get sick of glaciers or the Andes.

We spent the afternoon exploring the Agostini fjord, which is in the southern Chilean fjords of Patagonia more specifically Punta Baja, by kayak. As we kayaked through icy water we heard the snap, crackle, and pop of the ice and listened for the loud booms of calving icebergs. It was truly a surreal moment kayaking through icy cold water with the view of glaciers surrounding you. 

I even tried some glacial ice 🧊

Tonight we had the honor of attending a lecture by guest speaker, Rodrigo Munzenmayer, who come to find out is native Selk'nam (an indigenous people group of Patagonia), about the important conservation work happening in Karukinka by the Wildlife Conservation Society. A spot we are heading to explore tomorrow.

 

📍Pia Glacier, Chilean Fjords

Yesterday, we set sail back through the Beagle Channel (which is my new best friend since it protects us from the harsh wind we’ve been experiencing). We originally were supposed to travel to Cape Horn, but due to the weather and the ocean conditions, the captain has deemed that leg too unsafe to complete. 

From left to right: 1. Ropes went up throughout the ship night so people could safely walk among the ship due to the intense swells 2. Views of the swells BEFORE we hit open water 3. Attempting to "walk" in the intense wind 

With the change of plans, we spent the morning sailing through the magnificent fjords as the crew worked on completing all the customs requirements for us to enter back into Chile. We had a lecture by naturalist Dan Olsen called, “Magellan, Drake, and the Beagle,” followed by naturalist Javier Cotin’s presentation, “Seabirds of Patagonia and the Southern Ocean. Here are a few shots as we made our way through the Beagle Channel & Chilean fjords of southern Patagonia. I was beyond excited to spot my first glacier! 

Views from the bow of the National Geographic Explorer

That afternoon we took the opportunity to get close and personal with the glaciers as we took zodiac boats right up to the Pia Glacier which is in the Darwin Cordillera. The icy water was littered with chunks of ice and icebergs. We heard the calving (or breaking off) of the glacier which sounds a lot like thunder. It was pretty spectacular to hear and see the natural process of calving up close.

Pia Glacier with the Cordillera Darwin in the background

In true Patagonian weather, we started out dry and ended the exploration having been snowed and then rained on. As the weather moved in and out, we were greeted with views of spectacular glaciers, ice-carved valleys and peaks, and waterfalls cascading down the mountainside.

Middle picture: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Mcleod two of my Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Partners

Not so fun fact: the ice fields in the southern part of Patagonia which are the 3rd largest in the world and include the Pia Glacier are melting at a rate of 1.9 meters per year. There are a few glaciers that are advancing and scientists are studying these glaciers to try and learn why they are growing and not shrinking.

📍Isla de Los Estados (Staten Island), Argentina

Mother Nature has not quite been our friend since the beginning of our expedition. Severe weather conditions have delayed our voyage through the Beagle Channel and thus delayed our arrival to Isla de Los Estados. In order to head from the Beagle Channel to Isla de Los Estados we headed towards open water. I’m not sure I had a clear understanding of “open water” until last night. I woke up at 2:30 am (just like everyone else on board) to things sliding across my cabin. The door to my closet, which I forgot to lock, was sliding back and forth, back and forth as the boat swayed (this sounds too gentle for what was happening) all night long. When I chatted with the captain the next morning he responded with a huge smile, “9 feet swells. Just a little bit.” According to the Douglas Sea Scale, 9 feet swells are considered phenomenal. I had considered heading out of my cabin to view the swells as I knew they must look truly magnificent. To put it into perspective, it felt like I was on the pirate ship ride at Canobie Lake Park (but the Cedar Point version) and you can't get ooff. Spoiler alert on the way back we reached 12-14 feet swells.

View of the National Geographic Explorer from the Lighthouse at the End of the World

After our eventful night at sea, we made it to Isla de Los Estados and finally took our first zodiac ride to shore. We have special permission to visit Isla de Los Estados which in a conservation effort by Argentina has largely been off-limits to travelers since 1923. It is barely touched and only in recent years has it been visited by a few scientists and the staff of the tiny naval observatory. It’s so remote there is not even a Google Earth view for it. A fact my students could not believe. Google is everywhere, right?

After a short hike, we saw the replica of the Lighthouse at the End of the World which was the one inspired by the Jules Verne novel. We walked in the southern beech forests and experienced the four seasons in a matter of minutes. The weather and wind here are no joke. "Patagonian Weather" truly is its own thing. Do not be fooled by these sunny pictures, we were snowed on and even pelted with hail numerous times.

After our hike, we headed back to the National Geographic Explorer for lunch and our ship headed to another location on the island. For our second landing on Isla de Los Estados, our expedition leader said there was a king penguin waiting to greet us on the beach. We all thought he was joking given it was unclear whether we would see a king penguin this expedition (although I will admit I was really really really hoping too). Seriously, we asked him if there was actually a king penguin statue and some didn’t even bring their cameras out on the zodiac. Sidenote if you are ever on an expedition the motto is definitely, “Always be prepared”. Sure enough, as we zodiaced to shore there he was!

Right 📸 credit: Andy Coleman (our National Geographic photograph expert on board) 

After saying a quick hello, we hiked across the island from bay to bay. Again we experienced a multitude of seasons in a matter of minutes. When our zodiac ship landed we were greeted not only by the king penguin but also by the sun. We hiked and viewed beech trees, tree avalanches, and tons of moss (more on all of these later when I have more time). By the time we reached the other bay we had hail, snow, and wind squalls that all you could do was turn your back to and wait it out. It truly was a magical experience.

PS posts are slightly delayed due to limited wifi which is struggling to upload photos. Check out @explorewithmissklipfel on Instagram for more updates.