It was another unforgettable day in South Georgia. The day began with a dream-like sunrise over the lofty summits of the mountains of Northern South Georgia while National Geographic Endurance sailed into Cumberland Bay where we were to visit an abandoned Norwegian whaling station in Grytviken.
We first headed to the Grytviken Cemetery to pay our respects to great polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and to raise our glasses to the “Boss”. Then we explored the old whaling station, learning about its history while admiring the fur seals and elephant seals that were napping around the old station buildings.
The afternoon was another spectacle. We had the tremendous pleasure of visiting the largest king penguin colony in South Georgia. It was an experience for all of one’s senses. We listened to the greatest symphony of nature, thousands of king penguins, hundreds of elephant and fur seals, dozens of seabirds, all gathered on this beautiful 2-mile-long beach surrounded by spectacular mountains. The experience is hard to put into words. We all felt incredibly privileged to admire and to be part of such a magnificent display of nature.
