Children’s Program Coordinator Kristin Wornson and Naturalist Rich Pagan started the kid’s onboard program with a fun activity in the morning.

As we sailed the Beagle Channel, guests were on deck birdwatching and photographing our feathered escorts!

The Informative onboard lecture series began this morning with Photo Coach Richard Harker explaining the ins and outs of photography in Antarctica.

Passengers enjoyed the sunny deck while it was still warm enough to sit outside without parkas on!

Captain Jean Phillippe Lemaire greeted each guest to his Welcome Cocktail party.

On passage to the Falkland Islands

12/20/2010

 During the morning Le Boreal finally left Ushuaia and proceeded down the Beagle Channel for the start of our great adventure. It was a good day to be on deck as we steamed down the Beagle Channel between well-wooded shores and small communities nestling among the hills. There was the chance to spot some of the amazing wildlife that will be a key feature of the cruise: rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatrosses, giant petrels and many more. As a tangible sign of the adventures to come, there was an important session for exchanging our complimentary Abercrombie & Kent parkas to ensure we had the correct sizes and would be properly clad for our shore excursions.  

It was fitting that the first of the Enrichment Lectures was by ornithologist Patricia Silva (known as Patri) on "The seabirds of the Southern Ocean". She introduced us to the albatrosses and petrels that will accompany Le Boreal throughout the cruise.   

Next to entertain and instruct us was Photo Coach Richard Harker with his talk on "Photography in Antarctica: What to expect and how to prepare". Nearly everyone aboard has a digital camera and will take photographs to make a permanent record of the expedition and to share their experiences with friends and family back home. Richard's coaching will be invaluable for getting the most from our cameras.  

In the afternoon, the lecturers presented the Falkland Islands Medley as an introduction to our brief visit to this interesting island group. After that, it was time to dress up for the Captain's "Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party" followed by the "Welcome Dinner". This is not the sort of luxury living that one associates with expeditions to the Antarctic!