The morning presented an opportunity to explore as National Geographic Endurance pulled into Moltke Bay. Though the winds were freshening, our guests headed to shore for a hike amongst penguins, both adults and juveniles. Fording their way deep into the valley, those willing to make the journey experienced the immensity of what South Georgia’s landscapes have to offer.

The afternoon turned the sky blue and allowed us an epic exploration of the renowned Saint Andrew’s Bay, home to the largest penguin colony in all of South Georgia. With nearly half a million king penguins upon the shore in various stages of their life cycle, it was a full spectrum of nature viewing. We observed battling elephant seals on the shore and an army of Antarctic fur seals awaiting their turn to begin their breeding cycle once the elephant seals disperse. Such days allow the mind to settle on the fact that our world is a wild place and worth every effort of exploration.