Bay of Isles and St. Andrew’s Bay
Bay of Isles, a confined anchorage used by the whalers of old, provided us with a sheltered venue for our first kayaking adventure on South Georgia. The fog-shrouded, tussock slopes added drama to the scene as did the rusted hulk of the Bayard, a British ship grounded during a storm. Now a blue-eyed shag colony, their long occupation evidenced by the luxuriant growth of tussock grass growing on the ship’s deck.
Kayaking close to the shore in the small coves echoing with the flatulent sounds of barking elephant seals, we passed almost unnoticed among fur seals pups playing in the waving kelp attached to the rocky shoreline.
The afternoon was spent in King Penguin City, St Andrew’s Bay, home to a huge aggregation of the most regal of South Georgia’s avian fauna. The overcast conditions persisted, but our day was lit by the solar brilliance of the yellow and gold plumage of the thousands of penguins crowding the beaches and the skerries on each side of the bay. Only the eye and fond memories, a talented artist’s brush, or a large format camera in the hands of a professional, could attempt to do justice to such a spectacle.
Bay of Isles, a confined anchorage used by the whalers of old, provided us with a sheltered venue for our first kayaking adventure on South Georgia. The fog-shrouded, tussock slopes added drama to the scene as did the rusted hulk of the Bayard, a British ship grounded during a storm. Now a blue-eyed shag colony, their long occupation evidenced by the luxuriant growth of tussock grass growing on the ship’s deck.
Kayaking close to the shore in the small coves echoing with the flatulent sounds of barking elephant seals, we passed almost unnoticed among fur seals pups playing in the waving kelp attached to the rocky shoreline.
The afternoon was spent in King Penguin City, St Andrew’s Bay, home to a huge aggregation of the most regal of South Georgia’s avian fauna. The overcast conditions persisted, but our day was lit by the solar brilliance of the yellow and gold plumage of the thousands of penguins crowding the beaches and the skerries on each side of the bay. Only the eye and fond memories, a talented artist’s brush, or a large format camera in the hands of a professional, could attempt to do justice to such a spectacle.
