Gold Harbor and Ocean Harbor, South Georgia
Have you ever thought you could hear the sound music at sunrise? We definitely heard music this morning as first light painted the hanging glacier at Gold Harbor. And what a symphony it was – with the baritone snorts of elephant seals, the high-pitched whimpers of furs seals, and the trumpeting calls of king penguins, all punctuated by the percussive sounds of the surf crashing along the shore.
And then there was the light. Like magic, the clouds parted and the wind died moments after stepping ashore. This was our second consecutive early morning landing, but this wasn’t just for the photographers in the group. More than half the travelers on board answered the 5am wake-up call. When the weather is good in South Georgia you’ve got to go for it, as landings often get blown out and you may never get a second chance.
It was a wonderfully long morning sharing intimate moments with the wildlife – the thousands of king penguins and tons of elephant seals. Many of us made two landings as well as a Zodiac cruise, returning ashore again after breakfast to explore more of the landscape or to simply linger and observe. Few places on earth overwhelm the senses with sights, sounds, and smells like Gold Harbor.
The wind kicked up in the early afternoon as National Geographic Explorer navigated to find protection in Ocean Harbor, a place of historical significance in South Georgia. It was at this location that Norwegian whalers established one of the early whaling stations over 100 years ago. The wreck of the Bayard, an iron-hulled, three-master barque, is still stranded along the shore and is now home to one of the largest blue-eyed shag colonies in South Georgia. This is also where the first reindeer were released by Captain Larsen after bringing them all the way from Norway. The area is heavily impacted by overgrazing. In fact, a large heard of reindeer could be seen on the hillside as we landed. But their days are now numbered, as plans are being made to eradicate them from the islands.
Once on shore, we split up into hiking groups of different lengths. Long hikers climbed to the top of a distant ridge, so far in fact that they could see Grytviken, another of the historic whaling stations on South Georgia. Others explored the artifacts from whaling times, which included old foundations, metal draw works, anchor chains, and a steam locomotive. It was a warm and sunny afternoon, a rare treat, although the wind returned by the time the last Zodiac left the beach.
Back on board, conditions were calm during the evening as we enjoyed popcorn and cocktails during Recap, followed by yet another delicious dinner. As the sunset set, golden shafts of light steamed through the clouds, a fitting end to a spectacular day.
