In your tour of South Georgia’s breathtaking wildlife and scenery, you may visit the following sites. Please keep in mind that weather conditions in this area can be challenging, largely dictating the program.
Sites you might visit include:
Prion Island
The home of the great wandering albatrosses. The previous summer’s wandering albatross chicks are almost ready to fledge and adults are seeking out their old partners after a year and a half at sea.
Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbor
These sites not only house the three largest king penguin colonies in South Georgia, they’re also three of the world’s largest breeding beaches for southern elephant seals. Only during this time of year do they peak in their breeding cycle. Watch the four-ton bulls keep a constant vigil (and occasionally fight) over territories where dozens of females have just given birth or are about to deliver. You can also see a substantial number of Antarctic fur seals here during the breeding season (December–January).
Fortuna Bay
This beautiful outwash plain from Fortuna Glacier is home to a large number of king penguins and seals. You may have the chance to follow the final leg of Shackleton’s route to the abandoned whaling village of Stromness. This path cuts across the mountain pass beyond Shackleton’s Waterfall, and as the terrain is partly swampy, be prepared to cross a few small streams.
Leith Harbor, Stromness & Husvik
These sites remind of the scale of the whaling industry in the early 20th century. Elephant and fur seals breed and moult here. Gentoo penguins also occupy the landing sites. Antarctic prions and South Georgia dive petrels may be observed, especially in the area of Husvik.
Grytviken
In this abandoned whaling station, king penguins walk the streets and elephant seals lie around like they own the place–because they basically do. Here you might be able to see the South Georgia Museum as well as Shackleton’s grave.
Cobblers Cove, Godthul
Here, try to visit Rookery Point to see macaroni penguins. You might also encounter giant petrels, gentoo penguins, seals, and light-mantled sooty albatrosses nesting along the coastline. Godthul (Norwegian for “good cove”) was named by Norwegian whalers and seal hunters.
Royal Bay (Moltke Harbor, Will Point & Brisbane Point)
Moltke Harbor in Royal Bay was named by the German International Polar Year Expedition in 1882 and some of the remains of their dwellings are still visible. The scenery of Royal Bay is amazing, with dark sandy beaches, green tussocks, and of course, the great Ross Glacier. It may be windy here, but the Zodiac cruising is spectacular. Roughly 30,000 pairs of king penguins also live in this area.
Cooper Bay
A Zodiac cruise in Cooper Bay offers a good chance to see macaroni penguins, gentoo penguins and one of the world’s largest chinstrap penguin rookeries. Fur and elephant seals may be seen on the beach, while you might also spot light-mantled sooty albatrosses gliding overhead. Antarctic terns, white-chinned petrels and blue-eyed shags are possible here too.
Drygalski Fjord
This narrow waterway offers spectacular landscapes, specifically high mountain peaks at a very close distance.
Annenkov Island
Passing Pickersgill Islands, reach the rarely visited Annenkov Island, first discovered by James Cook in 1775 and later renamed by the Russian expedition of Fabian von Bellingshausen in 1819. This is a rocky terrain with a variety of ridges, peaks and hills where fossils have been found.
King Haakon Bay
Few Antarctic locations are more steeped in expedition history than this one. British explorer Ernest Shackleton reached King Haakon Bay during his arduous open-boat voyage from Elephant Island, where his crew was stranded after sea ice crushed their ship. Elephant seals dominate these rugged beaches, and birdwatchers should keep a lookout for South Georgia pipits, Antarctic prions, common diving petrels and blue petrels.
