Salisbury Plain and Prion Island, South Georgia
When Daily Expedition Report assignments were being distributed, the Naturalist thought "Hmmm - Salisbury Plain, Prion Island ... things to photograph, things about which to write ... a good draw, this one." Little did he realize the awesome responsibility of chronicling what we have come all this distance to experience: the first landing on South Georgia, stern-first in the surf; king penguins coming in and out with the waves or standing and strutting in regal solemnity on the beach; Antarctic fur seals, fattened from a spring feed on krill, claiming the beaches; young wandering albatross and South Georgia pipits competing for our attention on Prion Island.
Making the most of the day, we stormed the beach at Salisbury Plain at 05:early for the morning light. It was well worth responding to the call. Cameras were out even before life vests were off, but which way to point the lens? Harems of elephant seals were spaced along the beach, each guarded by a large beachmaster male. (Huge would be more accurate, for these are the largest of all pinnipeds.) While seeming to be dozing, he was keenly aware of the location of any potential rivals. Incursions from sneaky males of lesser bulk and status led to challenging bellows and blubbery charges down the beach, and pity any who might be in the way.
We made our way down the beach, following a slalom course around male fur seals. The pungent odor of musk signals that they are ready to battle for the right to breed. Most females have yet to arrive, so for now it is all about bluff (directed toward rival males and toward us) and the claiming of position on the beach. When the females arrive, each to give birth to a single pup, the males will fight viciously for the right to sire the next generation. Only the fiercest and strongest will pass on their genes. The abundance of Antarctic fur seals on South Georgia has exploded since their near-extirpation by seal hunters in the 19th Century.
Salisbury Plain has the second largest King Penguin colony on South Georgia, at last count some 60,000 pairs. Many were playing in the surf as we landed, or standing on the shore to trumpet their joy to the skies above. King penguins have a most peculiar breeding schedule. It takes over a year for a pair to raise a single young. In the main colony area, we found hordes of fuzzy, brown "oakum boys" standing in dense groups, each young bird waiting for its parents to return to the colony with a meal. They were hatched last summer, so they have already survived a South Georgia winter. As we sat quietly, some of the curious young came up to explore our boots. Most of the adults in the colony were not the parents of these young, but birds molting their feathers for a new set before initiating the next breeding attempt.
So much to see, to experience, record, and remember in this Antarctic paradise!
