This morning, we arrived at the northwestern corner of South Georgia, King Haakon Bay, where we hoped to find some protection from the strong wind and waves and set our Zodiacs on water. However, the waves and wind were still strong in the bay, and coupled with the horizontally flying rain, Zodiac cruising would not be enjoyable. It was here that Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Transantarctic Expedition party from Elephant Island established a camp using their upturned lifeboat in 1916. Our plan switched to ship cruising, and historian Maria spoke on Shackleton’s adventures as we passed sites related to his expedition.
During lunch, we sailed around the northern tip of South Georgia and entered Elsehul Bay for Zodiac cruising. The amount of wildlife, and its proximity, was just overwhelming. We observed king and gentoo penguins, baby and adult southern fur seals, a harem of elephant seals, and thousands of flying birds during the Zodiac cruises. We stayed in this protected bay for the rest of the evening.
