Today was one of those days that will come to define this expedition. There was a plan, but on a real expedition plans often change depending on the conditions in the moment.
Today, during our first light landing at St. Andrews Bay, the moment was defined by swells that swamped the Zodiacs and sent several members of the expedition team swimming in their waders in the icy water. It was around 6 a.m. and only a few guests had made it to shore when our expedition leader, Lisa Kelly, scrubbed the landing. There was no doubt it was the right call. Safety is the number one priority and conditions were on the edge.
On to Plan B. It was only a short distance down the coast to Gold Harbor, where we planned our second landing. But instead of landing after lunch, now plans changed for a morning landing. However, the landing was delayed by whale sightings, as three humpback whales came very close to the ship, and in fact swan right under the bow of the National Geographic Explorer. The group appeared to be a cow calf pair with a male escort, no doubt here to feed during the summer months in the southern hemisphere.
Gold Harbor is one of the world’s top-ten spots for both wildlife and scenery. The glacially carved coastline of South Georgia forms a great amphitheater crowned by hanging glaciers and jagged peaks, an awe-inspiring backdrop for the island’s third-largest king penguin colony stretching as far as the eye can see. In addition, a great number of elephant seals are sprawled across the beach with a spattering of feisty fur seals mixed to keep things interesting. Spring is in full swing here.
Slowly, silently, and in with great respect, we explored the colony with mouths agape. We observed all the different behaviors, from the elegant and somewhat comical king penguins, to the curious elephant seal pups, affectionately known as “weaners,” since these are last years pups abandoned by mom and on their own. The background sounds of braying king penguins were punctuated by the billowing of the gigantic male elephant seals that jousted for control of their harems, fending off would-be challengers one after another.
The day was capped off with a late afternoon Zodiac cruise in Cooper Bay where we encountered macaroni, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins lined up like bowling pins along the shore below their breeding colonies. This was after another encounter with humpback whales and also a couple of endangered southern right whales, a great sign that the whales are coming back slowly after the industrial whaling and slaughter of the last century.
As we settled into cocktail hour and Recap, the ship circumnavigates two large icebergs that have drifted here from the ice shelves of Antarctica, making for spectacular photos, a fitting farewell as we turn toward the South Orkneys and the White Continent of Antarctica. And to introduce us further to the ice, we navigated the length of Drygalski Fjord during dinner. After dessert, it was back to the ice-age out on deck with glaciers clinging to the mountains in every direction, the end to a spectacular day that began for most of us at 4:45 a.m. Now that is an expedition day!
As one guest remarked to me while on shore, “Being here with penguins is a cure for depression.” Indeed, and in a place such as South Georgia puts you back in touch with what is wild in the world, a humbling experience.
