South Georgia
On our first day in South Georgia, we found ourselves literally and figuratively in the footsteps of kings. Captain James Cook discovered and made the first known landing on the island in 1775. He and his men laid claim on the island for England and named it “Isle of Georgia,” in honor of King George III. His initial impression of the island might have left the king to wonder if the naming were meant as a compliment or an insult, for Cook had this to say of his time on South Georgia, “savage and horrible... the wild rocks raised their lofty summits until they were lost in the clouds, and the valleys lay covered with everlasting snow. Not a tree was to be seen, nor a shrub even big enough to make a toothpick.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement for tourism. Still, he did make mention of the prolific seal populations on the island and its surrounding archipelago, and not long after his visit, fleets of vessels began making their way south, to the land of King George seeking their fortunes in the sealing industry. Later on, after they had systematically eradicated all known fur seal populations, the whaling industry began to take its place as the industry du jour and certainly left a lasting impression on the island, as several of its bays still harbor the remains of the long-since abandoned whaling stations, including our first stop, Grytviken.
Grytviken is the Norwegian name for the station and small bay that serves as home for the only year-round human inhabitants of South Georgia. The name means “pot bay” and is a reflection of the number of giant iron melting pots that still litter the grounds of the old station. Today, the harbor is the site for the wonderful South Georgia Museum and its curators Tim and Pauline Carr, who warmly greeted us in spite of the chill morning winds and introduced us to their work, their home, and the final resting place of the legendary explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. And even though Grytviken could be cheekily considered the “urban” area of South Georgia island, the prolific wildlife cannot be held at bay, for we spotted many of the island’s fauna; including fur seals, elephant seals, petrels, pin-tail ducks, shags, and a few regal king penguins. These beautifully colored birds were molting and not breeding, but offered a prelude to things to come later in the day.
After lunch we found ourselves under sunny skies and light winds in stunning St Andrew’s Bay, home to a whopping king penguin population of over 100,000 birds. There were penguins on the beach, penguins in the surf, penguins in the river, penguins on tussock, and even penguins on penguins. The photo opportunities were simply too numerous for a single person to take advantage of. Luckily, we numbered a little more than 100, and we happily tried our best to document the moment of wonder and awe. Five hours and countless frames later, we finally relented and retreated back to the Endeavour for a bite to eat and some needed sleep. We needed both, for tomorrow lurks with even more possibilities to note our own impressions of South Georgia, which will almost certainly be more flattering that those of Captain Cook.
On our first day in South Georgia, we found ourselves literally and figuratively in the footsteps of kings. Captain James Cook discovered and made the first known landing on the island in 1775. He and his men laid claim on the island for England and named it “Isle of Georgia,” in honor of King George III. His initial impression of the island might have left the king to wonder if the naming were meant as a compliment or an insult, for Cook had this to say of his time on South Georgia, “savage and horrible... the wild rocks raised their lofty summits until they were lost in the clouds, and the valleys lay covered with everlasting snow. Not a tree was to be seen, nor a shrub even big enough to make a toothpick.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement for tourism. Still, he did make mention of the prolific seal populations on the island and its surrounding archipelago, and not long after his visit, fleets of vessels began making their way south, to the land of King George seeking their fortunes in the sealing industry. Later on, after they had systematically eradicated all known fur seal populations, the whaling industry began to take its place as the industry du jour and certainly left a lasting impression on the island, as several of its bays still harbor the remains of the long-since abandoned whaling stations, including our first stop, Grytviken.
Grytviken is the Norwegian name for the station and small bay that serves as home for the only year-round human inhabitants of South Georgia. The name means “pot bay” and is a reflection of the number of giant iron melting pots that still litter the grounds of the old station. Today, the harbor is the site for the wonderful South Georgia Museum and its curators Tim and Pauline Carr, who warmly greeted us in spite of the chill morning winds and introduced us to their work, their home, and the final resting place of the legendary explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. And even though Grytviken could be cheekily considered the “urban” area of South Georgia island, the prolific wildlife cannot be held at bay, for we spotted many of the island’s fauna; including fur seals, elephant seals, petrels, pin-tail ducks, shags, and a few regal king penguins. These beautifully colored birds were molting and not breeding, but offered a prelude to things to come later in the day.
After lunch we found ourselves under sunny skies and light winds in stunning St Andrew’s Bay, home to a whopping king penguin population of over 100,000 birds. There were penguins on the beach, penguins in the surf, penguins in the river, penguins on tussock, and even penguins on penguins. The photo opportunities were simply too numerous for a single person to take advantage of. Luckily, we numbered a little more than 100, and we happily tried our best to document the moment of wonder and awe. Five hours and countless frames later, we finally relented and retreated back to the Endeavour for a bite to eat and some needed sleep. We needed both, for tomorrow lurks with even more possibilities to note our own impressions of South Georgia, which will almost certainly be more flattering that those of Captain Cook.
