We spent the rainy morning in historic Stromness Bay. The activities occurred within sight of the Stromness whaling station, where Shackleton ended his epic 2,000-mile journey in 1916. The rusty buildings and equipment stand as a frozen monument to that period of South Georgia history. There were hundreds of female fur seals and their pups, many of whom were playing in the water as we arrived on our Zodiacs.
Many of us hiked a few miles along a river in a U-shaped glacial valley, often crossing the river as it meandered. Our destination was Shackleton Waterfall along the route that the brave men took during the last epic 24-hour march across South Georgia Island to get help for the stranded men. There were mosses, grasslands, and glacial ponds along the route which blended in perfectly with the misty weather. Occasionally, the clouds parted enough for us to see the high mountains with glaciers.
Several guests and crew enjoyed a polar plunge in the icy waters off the ship, followed by hot cider served by the bar staff. National Geographic visiting scientist, Ariana Mancuso, collected limpets for her important research on the calcium carbonate shells. These studies help us track changes in invertebrates caused by climate change and ocean acidification.
