The Beagle Channel is the first major attraction on the trip to Antarctica. There are many birds here, including the cormorant. There are also Magellanic penguins here. The Beagle Channel was named for the Charles Darwin’s ship, HMS Beagle that he used to explore the area in 1833-34. The channel is 150 miles long and between 3 to 8 miles wide. Once we left the safety of the Beagle Channel, we were headed for the Drake Passage.

Picture by Amanda.

Picture of Darwin from http://www.aboutdarwin.com/pictures/Darwin/Darwin.html