South Georgia Island

We made it to South Georgia Island from Puerto Williams early, on New Year’s Day. Compared to other crossings, ours was a calm one, but you wouldn't know it by the number of seasick passengers! (We were ok).

After three and a half days in South Georgia, we are on the stormy Scotia Sea en route to the Antarctic peninsula. I spent most of Sunday seasick an in bed. Much better now. To imagine Shackleton crossing this sea in a 22-foot whaleboat is mind blowing. He made this crossing with two others to South Georgia to get help for his crew marooned on Elephant Island near the Antarctic Peninsula (more on this in the next post).

We visited bays, harbors and coves tucked into little corners of South Georgia Island. The island is mountainous - with soaring rocky cliffs and precipitous drops to the ocean. Glaciers and waterfalls from the melting ice make for beautiful vistas everywhere. We had some fabulous weather.

On the beaches fur and elephant seals and king penguins steal the show. Some birds like the Giant Petrel hang around - I think mostly to feed on carcasses of dead seals and penguins - the avian flu struck the island in 2023 - we saw some of the impact.

On New Year's day we had a “bonus operation” because we got to the island ahead of schedule.

An operation is either a “landing” or a “zodiac cruise”. Zodiacs are small boats on which we ride to the shoreline. When a landing is difficult or not recommended we get into the zodiacs and cruise around the bay.

So far we’ve had two landings. We take the zodiacs to shore and then “land” in the water close to shore and wade a few steps to the beach. For these operations, we dress in warm layers. Plus outer gear - waterproof boots, hats, gloves and bright red parkas.

We visited the grave of Shackleton in Grytviken. Grytviken was also home to a whaling station and has ties to Shackleton and his rescue operation. It is the most sheltered part of the island.

Oh, and we sailed past iceberg A23a, the largest iceberg in the world. It is currently on the move to open waters after it split from the Antarctic coastline in 1986. No pictures. Too stormy for anything good. And we were far away from the "trillion tons of ice". 

Some (ok, more than some) photos below. stay till the end for cute seal and penguin photos.

Fortuna Bay - view from our balcony

A Giant Petrel at Fortuna Bay - came close to our Zodiac 

 A rare white Giant Petrel 

Scenes of Fortuna Bay with wildlife and glacier 

Glacier and iceberg in Fortuna Bay

Remnants of a whaling station on Prince Olav Harbor - whaling and sealing were major activities - the seal population was pretty much wiped out in the early part of the 20th century, but has since been revived

Sedmintary rock such as this one found in Prince Olav Harbor forms much of the geology of South Georgia 

More scenes from Prince Olav Harbor 

A curious seal pup jumped onto one of the Zodiacs! (not ours). The guide had to beat him off with a paddle. The expedition guides are trained to be calm in these (rather un-nerving) situations. This particular guide was pretty amazing. 

                                        

Penguins on an iceberg (their natural winter hbitat)  - Ocean Harbor. It was fun to see them try to climb up on the ice and slide back down. Some where better at scrambling up than others! 

                                            Matt and the iceberg

                                        

                                          

                                            

The Bayard ran aground in these waters in 1911.  She is said to have carried indentured labor from India to Fiji. 

                                            

A zodiac with passengers from our ship at the entrance to a cove in Ocean Bay

                                            

A seal pup on a rock - getting some sun? 

Our guide with others from our Zodiac (we were on a Zodiac cruise around Ocean Harbor) 

A Giant Petrel taking off

At Shackleton's grave in Grytviken - our first "landing" on South Georgia Island

En route to Grytviken

With the penguins at Grytviken

The church and remains of the Whaling station at Grytviken

                                               Seals at Grytviken

                                            

Penguin Colony at St. Andrews Bay - the largest Penguin Colony in the world ? 100s of thousands of king penguins as far as the eye can see and beyond. Our second landing on South Georgia Island

Penguins at St. Andrew's Bay 

Swimming king penguins with seal

Sealing around? These guys were going at it and then dashed through the penguins behind them who were minding their own business  (I have a really cute video) 

More penguins

Matt with Freedom (our guide) at Gold Harbor - Freedomn's father was a freedom fighter who fought for Zimbabwe's freedom (hence the name)

A zodiac with passengers at Gold Harbor

Seals at Gold Harbor 

Penguins and glacier at Gold Harbor 

Icebergs at Gold Harbor