📍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.