An afternoon visit to the second-largest King penguin rookery on the island, Salisbury Plain.
Reaching South Georgia is worth it. It is like travelling to the fabled land of Prester John, the mythical kingdom in the Southern Ocean, a place rather like the Scottish Highlands but with glaciers. If you are fortunate enough to arrive with a break in the clouds, you are greeted with a vista of mountains and ice, shrieking flocks of seabirds, pods of dolphins, and, in among the floating mats of seaweed, harems of seals.
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And here we are, after a week at sea. Last night the anchor rumbled down to the sea bottom at Right Whale Bay. The last day at sea was a combination of sailing and motoring, with South Georgia's coasts visible since midday under seldom clear skies for this region. Impressive rocky mountains covered with glaciers and snowfields, an abrupt shoreline, and the odd iceberg here and there frame waters where some humpback whales swim and dive looking for krill. Groups of prions fly around, and now and then, albatrosses soar by.
Just before it gets dark, square sails were doused, and many climbed aloft to furl them. The darkness came with a multitude of growls, yaps, and squeaks from all around the coastline surrounding the ship. She spent a quiet night in this harbour, the crew readying the ship for tomorrow’s planned activities ashore.
This morning, with the first lights, the spectacular landscape and its inhabitants reveal themselves with all their beauty and roughness.
Wind and sea conditions look good for a morning landing, but first, the guides must check the site before we can all start embarking on the zodiacs and spend a few hours ashore.
About half an hour later, we got the radio call from the beach that all was good to go.
Landings often take place at the southeastern tip of the bay, amongst rocks. Here, in the background, there is a small waterfall, while long surges break at the shoreline, making for an exciting disembarkation. And straight away, we are surrounded by the bountiful wildlife that characterises the island.
Male Fur seals start to take over the beach and fight for their small territories while they wait for the females to come ashore. Plenty of Elephant seals are around, including several large beach-masters with some late harems; others finished the breeding and mating times and had left behind a multitude of pups finishing their moult and soon ready to start their independent life at sea.
The 2.4km-long coastline around the bay teems with them, plus King penguins on their way to and from the large rookery that lies behind.
Right Whale Bay is named for the southern right whales found in the area during the whaling times from the beginning until the mid-20th Century. The hunt was so successful that they brought them to the brink of extinction. Nowadays, some of their bones can still be found along Binder beach.
A successful and impressive morning, an experience not to miss, and a great introduction to what the island offers its visitors.
Just about 16nm from here is where the afternoon landing was to take place, at Rosita Harbour.
Quite a sheltered cove at the west of the large Bay of Isles, whose complex coastline with subsidiary bays, coves, islands, and capes was already charted and named by Captain Cook in 1775.
In calm weather and in a good anchorage, here we have a chance for an afternoon walk. Soon we set foot on the beach where Fur seals are taking their positions, one a few meters from the other, but still not in the incredible numbers that will come here in just a couple of weeks during the peak of their breeding season.
Zigzagging our way, looking for the open spaces here and there between them, we make our way up the snowy hills in the background. Not too steep but covered with deep snow, it makes for a bit of a harder hike than just spending time at the beach—a bit of a leg stretch after a week on board sailing from Falklands. The opportunity of having a peek into the inner lands of South Georgia soon becomes veiled by the fog. It is time to head down again instead of climbing higher in the misty weather and head to the neighbouring beach on a sort of a loop. At the coastline, of course, we met again with the excitement of having to deal with the numerous Fur seals before embarking on the zodiacs and coming back on board for dinner.
The Europa will remain here until tomorrow early morning, when she plans to heave anchor and make a short way of just about 5nm to her next destination on the island, Salisbury Plain.