South Georgia
Morning came early for us today with a 4:30 a.m. wake up call. Fog crept down from the high glaciers. Mountain peaks stood ragged and sharp against the brightening sky and lenticular clouds capped the peaks. Most of us took a quick cup of coffee on the deck before boarding the Zodiacs and started ashore. A low murmuring grew in volume as our boats approached the beach. The king penguins we’d come to see blanketed the gravel beach and extended on up into the tussock grass on the hill. The sun gradually illuminated the snowy peaks, the glaciers, and lastly the kings on the beach. A steady parade of red coats came ashore. The larger parade, dressed in black and white with iridescent gold trim moved in all directions, perhaps 100,000 in number here at Salisbury Plain. What adjectives can describe this morning, this site, and such a concentration of life?
Mid morning found us repositioned to a nearby anchorage. The fur seal population on South Georgia has grown dramatically in the last years and this was evident on the beach at Prion Island. After establishing a corridor through the feisty furies, we were able to scramble through the tussock to the hilltop, where we were afforded good views of wandering albatross nests.
By mid afternoon, the National Geographic Endeavour was anchored in King Edward Cove. We landed ashore at Grytviken and made a pilgrimage to the grave site of Sir Ernest Shackelton, The Boss. Toasts were made and photos were taken. There was not a breath of wind and the sun caused us to shed layer upon layer of clothing. The day felt more tropical than sub-Antarctic. There was time to visit the beautifully restored church and the small museum. The gift shop did a grand business and as we made our way back aboard we knew we’d enjoyed some of the best that South Georgia had to offer.
Morning came early for us today with a 4:30 a.m. wake up call. Fog crept down from the high glaciers. Mountain peaks stood ragged and sharp against the brightening sky and lenticular clouds capped the peaks. Most of us took a quick cup of coffee on the deck before boarding the Zodiacs and started ashore. A low murmuring grew in volume as our boats approached the beach. The king penguins we’d come to see blanketed the gravel beach and extended on up into the tussock grass on the hill. The sun gradually illuminated the snowy peaks, the glaciers, and lastly the kings on the beach. A steady parade of red coats came ashore. The larger parade, dressed in black and white with iridescent gold trim moved in all directions, perhaps 100,000 in number here at Salisbury Plain. What adjectives can describe this morning, this site, and such a concentration of life?
Mid morning found us repositioned to a nearby anchorage. The fur seal population on South Georgia has grown dramatically in the last years and this was evident on the beach at Prion Island. After establishing a corridor through the feisty furies, we were able to scramble through the tussock to the hilltop, where we were afforded good views of wandering albatross nests.
By mid afternoon, the National Geographic Endeavour was anchored in King Edward Cove. We landed ashore at Grytviken and made a pilgrimage to the grave site of Sir Ernest Shackelton, The Boss. Toasts were made and photos were taken. There was not a breath of wind and the sun caused us to shed layer upon layer of clothing. The day felt more tropical than sub-Antarctic. There was time to visit the beautifully restored church and the small museum. The gift shop did a grand business and as we made our way back aboard we knew we’d enjoyed some of the best that South Georgia had to offer.
