Grytviken, South Georgia Island
Our morning today was a subtle reminder of what the South Atlantic Ocean can deliver. As we rolled out of our bunks, some of us being more coaxed out by the ship rather than voluntarily rising by our own accord, it was impossible to not look out into the ocean and imagine what endurance the captain and crew of the James Caird must have had during their journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Sailing in a 22-foot open lifeboat across one of the most treacherous channels in the world, in conditions more dire than one could possibly imagine, they triumphed in what would become one of the greatest feats of navigation and survival in maritime history.
The serrated peaks of the north shore of South Georgia cut their way through the fog layer as we navigated down the coast toward Grytviken. Over time, the fog would burn off and the high cloud layer would open up, revealing a hint of blue sky on the horizon. This coastline, littered with oversized icebergs and constantly pounded by wind and surf, has such an uninvitingly seductive appeal to it. It breeds such raw emotional energy that is undeniable. Finally, one can understand why early Antarctic explorers continued to return.
And so there we landed, in the bay at Grytviken to pay our respects to one of the most famous Antarctic explorers. A lone gentoo penguin stood on the beach almost as if it was waiting for us. But the gentoo wasn’t the only member of the welcoming committee. We also had a baby elephant seal suckling from it’s mother a few meters away, a group of king penguins doing what they do best off in the distance, a few fur seals reminding us that they were there too, and a couple of large male elephant seals gracing us with their opera-like vocalizations. After a short walk through the gate to the cemetery, Kim Heacox led us in a toast to pay our respects to “The Boss.” Scanning the landscape, it seemed very fitting for this to be his final resting place, overlooking a bay in what is arguably one of the richest islands in the world. And as the sun set behind the mountains, the icebergs floating just outside the bay became angelically lit, only wetting our appetite for what will come in the following days of our time here in South Georgia.
Our morning today was a subtle reminder of what the South Atlantic Ocean can deliver. As we rolled out of our bunks, some of us being more coaxed out by the ship rather than voluntarily rising by our own accord, it was impossible to not look out into the ocean and imagine what endurance the captain and crew of the James Caird must have had during their journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Sailing in a 22-foot open lifeboat across one of the most treacherous channels in the world, in conditions more dire than one could possibly imagine, they triumphed in what would become one of the greatest feats of navigation and survival in maritime history.
The serrated peaks of the north shore of South Georgia cut their way through the fog layer as we navigated down the coast toward Grytviken. Over time, the fog would burn off and the high cloud layer would open up, revealing a hint of blue sky on the horizon. This coastline, littered with oversized icebergs and constantly pounded by wind and surf, has such an uninvitingly seductive appeal to it. It breeds such raw emotional energy that is undeniable. Finally, one can understand why early Antarctic explorers continued to return.
And so there we landed, in the bay at Grytviken to pay our respects to one of the most famous Antarctic explorers. A lone gentoo penguin stood on the beach almost as if it was waiting for us. But the gentoo wasn’t the only member of the welcoming committee. We also had a baby elephant seal suckling from it’s mother a few meters away, a group of king penguins doing what they do best off in the distance, a few fur seals reminding us that they were there too, and a couple of large male elephant seals gracing us with their opera-like vocalizations. After a short walk through the gate to the cemetery, Kim Heacox led us in a toast to pay our respects to “The Boss.” Scanning the landscape, it seemed very fitting for this to be his final resting place, overlooking a bay in what is arguably one of the richest islands in the world. And as the sun set behind the mountains, the icebergs floating just outside the bay became angelically lit, only wetting our appetite for what will come in the following days of our time here in South Georgia.
