First sight of South Georgia

After 2 nights at sea we were woken up at 6.30am to catch our first glimpse of South Georgia. We had travelled 900 miles south east from Stanley. By the time breakfast was over we were anchored in the Bay of Isles. (Top left of photo above). It is amazing how much colder it is here than in the Malvinas. By now we had had enough R & R and were ready for another landing. So we wrapped up warmly, got into our foul weather gear and hopped on board a Zodiac. First stop was Salisbury Plain – home to a colony of 60,000 pairs of King Penguins.

The first recorded landing on South Georgia was made by Captain Cook, on his second trip around the world. He was looking for the long sought-after Southern Continent. When he reached S. Georgia he thought he had found it. He named the bay he landed in, Possession Bay, and named the island after King George III. He then got back on board and sailed southeastwards only to discover that he was back out at sea and that this was only an island and not a continent. As he looked back at the Island he named the last visible cape, Cape Disappointment.

No such disappointment for us. This was our first taste of Antarctica and we were blown away by it. Towering mountains, wide glaciers, penguins and fur seals in huge numbers. The animals were very curious about us and with the exception of one fur seal Mother, pretty much ignored us as we landed on the beach. We have been instructed about keeping our distance and not making sudden movements. The best way to see the penguins is to just sit on the sand and let them come to us.

Margaret and a few of the more adventurous passengers, climbed up a steep hill and got a brilliant view of the colony. In the photo below, all those dots behind Margaret are King Penguins, as far as the eye can see. I stayed on flat land because my gums boots were uncomfortable for walking in – I’ve got a better pair now.

I learned something new today. Some of the penguins were moulting. They tend to congregate in small groups, away from the waters edge. The moulting process takes 3 week. During this time the penguins don’t eat and can’t go in the water. I have to say, they looked pretty miserable. We were warned to stay well away as this is a stressful period in their life cycle.

Gentoo penguin – lost amongst all the King Penguins

Sharing Salisbury Plain with the penguins, were Fur Seals. This species was almost wiped out in the early part of the last century. They are now making an amazing recovery. Sadly, this is largely due to the fact that their main predator, the whale, in on the decrease. They are by far the most beautiful seals I’ve ever seen. Their fur is thick and creamy in colour. The babies were only about 4-8 weeks old and many sat patiently on the beach or on grass tussocks, waiting for their parents to return with food.

After a couple of hours the cold was getting to us so we made our way back to Zodiacs and on board for lunch. While eating lunch the ship upped anchor and sailed around to Prion Island, in the same bay.

After lunch, Margaret headed off with the kayakers to paddle around the island. The rest of us took a trip around in the Zodiacs and eventually landed on Prion island. Luck is with us so far on this trip. Apart from the really smooth sail so far, we are also the first cruise this season to be able to make a landing at Prion Island. There are a number of Wandering Albatross nesting here. Due to a restriction on the number of people who can land at a time, we went ashore in 3 separate groups.

I was completely gob smacked when I saw the first albatross sitting in her nest. We had seen them flying around the ship on the way here, but this did not prepare me for the sheer hugeness of their bodies. They have a wing span of 3.5 meters, but they weigh up to 9 kgs!! And if they don’t get caught by long line fishing, they can live up to 40 years. Unlike Salisbury Plain, Prion Island had a purpose built walkway that we were required to stick to. While this felt a bit contrived it did protect the flora and I’m sure was less stressful for the animals.

Skua

Wandering Albatross sitting on her nest

Courting albatross

Not sure what this about. Could be courtship, or rivalry