Drygalski Fjord & Cooper Bay, South Georgia
Several days after leaving Elephant Island, that exposed eastern island just north of the Antarctic Peninsula, we made our first landfall of South Georgia. Having spent our days beset by Southern Ocean fog, the glacier-gouged flanks of Cape Disappointment came into view as clouds lifted over the southern end of the island. The sight of land was a welcome one and greeted with great enthusiasm from all onboard. Serving as an introduction to just how grand the landscape here can be, we cruised the narrow Drygalski Fjord in relative luxury under dynamic blue skies and with much fewer layers than we had donned in Antarctica. Reaching the “end of the road” at Risting and Jenkins glaciers, the National Geographic Explorer was placed into reverse for the first time since leaving Point Wild three days prior, and we headed out of Drygalski Fjord towards nearby Cooper Bay.
Situated near the southeast end of South Georgia, Cooper Bay harbors much of the wildlife we have traveled so far to see. Utilizing the deft maneuverability of the ship’s Zodiac fleet, we were afforded close looks at Antarctic fur seals, Southern elephant seals, our old friend the gentoo penguin and newcomers macaroni and king penguins. Because our view was from seaward, the clowns of the party and those that stole the show were the young Antarctic fur seals. With young-of-the-year pups and juveniles banding into rafts of unbridled energy and curiosity, our Zodiac cruises became pinniped exhibitions of speed, swiftness and even pure comedy. If you could combine the curiosity of a retriever puppy, the personality of a class clown and the agility of a ballet dancer, you’d then have an idea of how easily a fur seal pup can capture your attention.
With our introduction to South Georgia complete and our anticipation of tomorrows’ activity at an all-time high, we returned to the ship for a much-needed cocktail (or two). During recap Captain Kruess detailed the subtleties of National Geographic Explorer‘s set of dynamic stabilizers which explained why our crossing was a comfortable one amidst consistent wind and waves. This reminded me of just how far our technology has come but just how far is has to go. Although our stabilizers are outfitted with very sophisticated technology, like gyroscopes, which counteract roll, we will never be able to match the control, dexterity, maneuverability and speed of those young fur seals. Their flippers are a marvel of evolution and a truly impressive set of tools (albeit at a totally different scale than ours).
