As the afternoon waned on 6 March, we sailed deep into a deep fjord at the southern tip of South Georgia, its walls lined with glacier after glacier. As the glaciers have receded – all too fast, in recent years – the fjord has gotten longer, and it took an hour for us to motor slowly “upstream” to the head of the fjord, where the Risting Glacier was actively calving into the tidal bay.
Glacier near the head of Drygalski Fjord, South Georgia.
Visit the gallery for more photos and a video panorama. You’ll note one tiny iceberg, recently broken off the glacier, just large enough to allow a fur seal a spot to rest while it fished for its dinner in the frigid waters of the fjord.
A Zodiac tour gives our first glimpse of Macaroni Penguins.
After a delightful morning in Gold Harbour, on the afternoon of 6 March we stopped briefly in a tiny bay on the southeastern point of South Georgia Island – Cooper Bay. We were not able (not allowed?) to land here, so they took us out in groups to tour the bay by Zodiac. On the beach we saw a small, mixed colony of penguins – Chinstrap, King, and Gentoo – and nearby a steep, rocky hillside frequented by Macaroni Penguins.
Macaroni penguins – Cooper Bay, South Georgia.
Visit the gallery for more photos. The weather was windy and the water was choppy, and it was difficult to photograph wildlife from a bouncing boat!
A sunrise visit shows why Gold Harbour got its name.
It was 4:30am on 6 March as a hardy group of guests quietly stopped by the top-deck café, looking for coffee, tea, and pastries. The Endurance was resting calmly in the middle of Gold Harbour, so named by the early sealers because the morning’s first rays of sun tend to paint the surrounding cliffs with a golden glow. The weather was calm but a bit misty; nonetheless we soon climbed down to the bottom deck to don our waterproofs and were launching the Zodiacs by 5:30 as the horizon behind us hinted at the coming day. Each Zodiac had a lighted pillar to aid the ship in tracking us in the morning gloom; the penguins on shore seemed nonplussed by this early wake-up call.
Landing in Gold Harbour, South Georgia.
The mist later rose, leading to a spectacular morning on the beaches of Gold Harbour; after a return to the ship for a hearty breakfast, we made a second trip on which I joined a group for a hike up to the headlands – and sweeping views of the harbour, its glaciers, and tens of thousands of penguins.
King penguins – Gold Harbour, South Georgia.
Read on, and be sure to check out the two galleries of photos and videos: sunrise and hike.
After a delightful morning visiting the penguins and seals on the beaches of Right Whale Bay, we re-boarded the National Geographic Endurance and enjoyed a hearty lunch while it sailed further down the coast to the Bay of Isles. As we approached shore, hundreds of King Penguins leapt in the choppy waters in front of the ship, curious about this odd, huge creature that had joined them in the bay. This brief video gives you a sense of their frolic and a panoramic view of this broad alluvial plain fed by two glaciers – it’s the best way to see the whole scene!
David with King Penguins – Salisbury Plain, South Georgia.
We quickly cleaned and donned our waterproof boots and pants and hopped into the Zodiacs for a trip to shore… this time to visit the vast glacial plains known as Salisbury Plain. Read on, and check out the gallery of photos and videos!
Our first opportunity to land on South Georgia was in Right Whale Bay, on the morning of 5 March. The stony beach was home to several thousand King Penguins and hundreds of fur seals. We were able to wander among the seals, across the grass, and around the edges of the penguin colony, slopping through the mud, penguin guano, and wet rocks. The weather threw us a bit of everything – drizzle, flurries, sleet, sunshine, and a stiff wind bursting downslope from the glaciers above. We were dressed warmly and the excitement of meeting penguins face to face – quite literally – made for an exciting morning. Read on and don’t miss the gallery of photos and videos!
An overview of our five-day visit to South Georgia Island.
Finally, on the 5th of March after two days at sea en route from the Falkland Islands, we approached the shores of South Georgia island just as the sun rose over its shoulder. Watch this brief video panorama as the ship approaches Right Whale Bay on the northern shore at the west end of the island.
Sunrise and first glimpse of South Georgia.
Where is South Georgia Island – and what makes it such a special place? Read on for an overview of our action-packed five-day visit to this incredible corner of Planet Earth.
We’ve returned from a three-week trip to the South Atlantic, notably, from a National Geographic expedition out of South America’s Tierra del Fuego to the Falkland Islands and to South Georgia Island. It was a fantastic trip – great weather, wonderful people, incredible wildlife – and led to me snapping over 10,000 photos and videos. It will take me some time to digest and organize them, and write up the story, but here’s a bit of background and teaser shots.
After a month of warm temperatures – often above Freezing at night, and into the 40s, 50s, during the day – and the nearby forest floor had melted nearly clear of snow, I was glad to see winter conditions finally return. We had 6″ of fresh powder snow on Thursday. Sure, it was topped by an hour or two of sleet, but the woods felt properly wintry this morning as I climbed my usual route to the hilltop, stopping only briefly to explore the fresh tracks left by the hillside residents, leaving my own track to mark the day.
At the top of the hill the morning quiet was punctuated by a busy woodpecker, hopping from tree to tree to seek his breakfast.
For various reasons, I have not had a chance to hike any Big mountains for many months, but was eagerly looking for a day when the weather, my schedule, and my friends would all converge. Today was that day – beautiful blue skies, crisp temperatures, and decent trail conditions. We followed the Glencliff Trail – which is part of the Appalachian Trail – up Mount Moosilauke. This is my favorite winter approach; despite it having the greatest elevation gain of any approach to the summit, it is the shortest approach in winter and allows one to traverse the beautiful ridgeline between south and north peak.
Early this morning I headed out for my morning walk – which recently has included a steep hike up the hill behind our house, bushwhacking through the snowy forest. The sun was coming up, and as I walked across the street and entered the woods I noted a pinkish glow along the horizon to the west and north… although, with this hill to the east, the woods were still in the morning’s dim early light. I made it less than 50m into the woods, starting up the slope and thinking I might revisit the spot where I so often see fox tracks, when a barred owl swept silently past me, its talons clutching its breakfast catch. It landed on the branch of a nearby pine tree.
Darn! I had no camera with me today, although on my Tuesday outing I had carried a full complement of camera gear only to see nothing of interest. I hesitated, then ran back home to fetch my Canon R5 with its 100-500mm lens. Within five minutes I was back, and the friendly owl was still there, posing patiently. I experimented with different positions and different exposures – the light was still low – and the above photo was the result.
Noting that he was facing away from me, swiveling his head to look in my direction, I decided to walk around to the other side to perhaps capture a view from the front… but my efforts to crunch through the old snow in that direction apparently convinced him it was time to leave, and he flew off. I look forward to seeing him again someday!
David Kotz 