South Georgia

Days 11/12/13 – 24th to 26th February

I think must be losing the plot “all at sea” have noticed I have been getting days and dates wrong by one day in recent posts. So to get back on track I am now writing this on Friday 26th February late in the evening. Since leaving Elephant Island on 24th we have been steadily steaming across the Scotia Sea for the past two days and have now arrived at the southerly point of South Georgia near Cape Disappointment, so named when Captain Cook, on board his ship Resolution realised he had not found the continent of Antarctica The total distance covered from Elephant Island to South Georgia approximately 830 nautical miles, we reach South Georgia around 6.00 pm today.

So what have we been doing for the last two days, more than I imagined. I think I have mentioned before that I really thought one would have more time to ones self on this trip, just not true. The past two-days have been punctuated with lectures on anything from Antarctic Krill, Photography, Introductions on South Georgia to The history of Shackleton.

As I travel across this huge ocean still with its occasional icebergs, I, along with others onboard cannot start to imagine what Shackleton and his men, in a tiny boat, went though on their journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. For us, in this vast ship, fully stabilised, it has still been rocky with rolling seas and swells of up to 4 meters, snow, rain etc. and central heating, food, hot showers. Then when we do venture out in our technical clothing to keeps us warm, and we still say we are cold! 100 years ago they had none of this – incredible achievement.

While on the topic of icebergs as we get nearer South Georgia we see more huge tabular icebergs, which we are told, will have traveled the 800 plus miles from Antarctica, I have included pictures with people ie me in to try and give some scale to the pictures.

from 800 miles away
Travelled from 800 miles away
The scale of the Icebergs even here !
The scale of the Icebergs even here !

IMG_0369

Arriving at South Georgia we are told zodiac trips are on but it is cold so wrap up and the trips will only be about 20 minutes – on the trip it is cold very cold – feels colder than further south but great trip seeing many Macaroni Penguins, seals and bird life in Cooper Bay just round from Cape Disappointment, The wild life we see in that 20 minutes on the zodiacs is prolific, more excitement.

The Beach from a zodiac
The Beach from a zodiac
Macaroni Penguin
Macaroni Penguin

So that was my Friday arriving in South Georgia, so we now sail round to Saint Andrews Bay for a 5.00AM potential dawn landing which is home to the largest king penguin colony in South Georgia with some 150,000 pairs ….so early to bed nite nite ……

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