Prion Island & Right Whale Bay, South Georgia
The plaintive call of fur seals welcomed us ashore this morning. They seemed to be saying, “Mummy where are you, I am in need of my breakfast.” Conditions were blustery and squally and on our approach to the landing, through a narrow passage, the Zodiac drivers had to proceed with caution as the waters seemed to be alive with hundreds of fur seals pups writhing and frolicking about. They left us astonished with their acrobatics and silky motions.
Walking up to the wandering albatross nesting sites was greatly simplified by a good sturdy boardwalk. However it was also frequented by many fur seal pups; for the most part they soon jumped off, but occasionally a more feisty character put on a last stand, facing us resolutely and defying us to continue.
Soon enough we reached the top and dotted about in the tussac grass we sighted several majestic wandering albatrosses on their nests. There are a few who were just hanging out on the moss beds. Just off the upper deck there was a wanderer close by and even though difficult to see, on occasions we caught fleeting glimpses of its eye. This is no ordinary eye and we were immediately made aware that we were gazing into an incredible bird; it lays a single huge egg, the pair then tend it for 80 days before the chick emerges and then is cared for by its parents for a further 280 days before heading off to sea and to become acquainted with the Southern Ocean, which is to be its home for the next few years!
Getting one’s head around this concept is well nigh impossible, for we have seen but short glimpses of what this ocean can be like when the winds pick up and whip up huge waves that thunder along relentlessly in their path east with but a few islands to interrupt their long journey around the globe. The bird will then spend several years selecting a mate before setting up their first nest and then settling down to many long years of parenthood. It would be no surprise to hear that these magnificent birds live to 80 years or more. That eye is indeed a remarkable eye for it has seen so much.
Not all is good news though, for long-line fishing has taken its toll on this bird as well as thousands of other seabirds around the world and the number of breeding pairs on South Georgia has dropped dramatically over the last couple of decades. However we have also heard that the fisheries off the Falkland Islands and South Georgia are today being so carefully managed that the seabird by-catch has been reduced to almost zero.
There were other huge highlights to our visit: we got to see the South Georgia pintail, so much smaller than its South American cousin, close to the boardwalk and feeding contentedly between the tussac mounds. But it was the South Georgia pipit, the only songbird on South Georgia, which really captivated our attention. We were able to see a good number flying in these windy conditions, but it was the close-up views next to where we stood that were so special. Its beautiful song could be heard on many occasions. What a privilege to see this delightful little bird!
The afternoon was to be a firsthand experience of the severe teeth that the ever-fickle South Georgia weather can throw at one in an instant. During lunch the ship listed markedly to starboard as we were buffeted by strong winds and even though there was a marked relief to the ship’s motion as we entered Right Whale Bay, the williwaws about the area bore witness to the 40 to 50 knot gusts that our onboard instruments were recording.
However many king penguins swam up to the ship and afforded us good views as well as helping us to appreciate what wonderful swimmers they are. They indeed fly in water!
