The predicted rain never materialized and we awoke to the most glorious day, clear skies and beautiful sunshine. We started the day at Ocean Harbour, which is known for being the most sheltered bay in South Georgia. Kayaking had to be the activity this morning, to make the most of the calm waters in the bay. It turns out we weren’t the only ones enjoying the waters in the bay, as hundreds of Antarctic fur seals and their pups were frolicking in the shallow waters and pools around the bay. The kayakers and those who chose to Zodiac cruise all spent some time looking at the wreck of the Bayard which ran aground in 1911.
Some hardy souls then chose to plunge into the icy waters of the bay, with lots of spectators enjoying the view from deck 8. Given how sheltered the bay is, we decided to stay for lunch and the hotel team put on a magnificent barbeque for us all to enjoy.
The afternoon focus was definitely king penguins, with the spectacle of 200,000 pairs at St. Andrews Bay. At this time of year, the sea of penguins was predominantly adults with the splashes of yellow and orange colors. There were a variety of chicks, from newly hatched to the brown fuzzy ‘oakum boys,’ and even a few eggs. The sights and sounds will forever stay with us, but as the shadows lengthened it was time to head back to the ship.
