National Geographic Endurance – Page 2

Carcass Island – Falkland Islands

Tea & cakes are a splendid way to end a hike!

[backdated to fit into the sequence of posts about our trip to the Falklands and South Georgia in March 2023.]

Our last stop in the Falkland Islands was on Carcass Island. As Wikipedia notes, its “grim-sounding name comes from the ship HMS Carcass, which surveyed the island in 1766.” Despite the grim name, we visited on a beautiful day and had a lovely hike up the steep and grassy slopes, past a small Gentoo settlement and through sheep pasture, to a rocky summit with broad views of the bay and surrounding islands.

David, and a view of the “Endurance” while on a hike over Carcass Island – Falkland Islands.

Steeple Jason Island – Falkland Islands

The world’s largest breeding colony of black-browed albatross.

The sun was still low as we pulled into a beautiful harbor between the two halves of Steeple Jason Island and shuttled ashore in Zodiacs. As we climbed into the grassland above the beach, passing a small colony of Gentoo penguins, we followed our long shadows around to the western shore of the island – home of the world’s largest breeding colony of black-browed albatross. (Indeed, over 70% of the world’s population breeds in the Falkland Islands!)

Jack hiking on Steeple Jason Island – Falkland Islands.

It was a spectacular experience – spending the morning with tens of thousands of albatross chicks, with adults occasionally swooping in from their days-long fishing expeditions to find and feed their youngsters… all while Caracara birds kept a watchful eye out for any opportunity to make a meal out of an unwary or unprotected chick. Read on! and check out the gallery of photos and videos.

Saunders Island – Falkland Islands

History, farming, wildlife, and more!

We arrived back in the Falkland Islands after two full days at sea; this time, we aimed to visit some of the smaller islands on the western side. (We had intended to make these visits on our outbound trip, but an incoming storm convinced the captain to head early to South Georgia and pick up the Falklands on the way back; good call!)

Albatross chicks at an Albatross rookery – Saunders Island, Falkland Islands.

We spent today on Saunders Island, site of the original 1765 settlement, a garrison established by the British Navy. We spent the morning visiting an active sheep farm, and the afternoon visiting a cliffside rookery for albatross and rockhopper penguins. Read on! and check out the gallery of photos and videos.

South Georgia – whales

Incredible encounters with whales, off the shores of South Georgia.

As we departed South Georgia on 9 March for the long journey (two and a half days at sea) back to the Falkland Islands, we settled in for a post-lunch lecture on whales by one of the naturalists in the expedition crew. Not long after he had begun to describe the various types of whales, and the history of whaling and whale conservation, a guest near the windows shouted “whale ho!” The lecture was quickly paused and soon we were all out on deck to view and photograph the largest mammals on earth: Blue Whales. And this was just the start! Read on and check out the gallery of photos and videos.

South Georgia – Stromness

Endpoint of Shackleton’s incredible survival story.

We arrived in Stromness on foot, crossing the green, boggy plains below Shackleton Falls to reach the shore where we rejoined our ship – aptly named Endurance, after the ship Shackleton used for his attempted trek across Antarctica. We had just hiked in his footsteps from Fortuna Bay. Read on!

The “Endurance” at Stromness Harbor – South Georgia.

South Georgia – Shackleton

Walking in the footsteps of Shackleton’s famous walk to survival.

I’ve been enthralled by the story of explorer Ernest Shackleton and his ill-fated expedition to Antarctica ever since I read the incredible story in the book Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. You can imagine, then, how exciting it was for me to be able to walk in his footsteps on the final leg of his incredible trek for survival in 1916. Read on!

Descending toward Stromness, in the footsteps of Shackleton – South Georgia.

South Georgia – St. Andrews Bay

Massive glaciers and thousands of penguins.

On the sunny afternoon of 8 March, we stopped in St. Andrews Bay for a visit to shore. I joined a group that hiked quickly up across the vast glacial plain formed by the retreat of the Heaney Glacier… and then up onto the glacier itself. Led by Eric, a member of the expedition team who is a glaciologist, we had an opportunity to learn about the dynamics of retreating glaciers.

Arriving at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia. Heaney Glacier on right, Buxton Glacier on left.

On the way back we walked to an overlook where we had a sweeping view from the bay to the Buxton Glacier and across a massive colony of King Penguins – scientists estimate 130,000 pairs, which translates to nearly 400,000 penguins. In the photo above the shore at left is speckled white: those are penguins!

Read on and be sure to check out the gallery of photos and videos.

South Georgia – Ocean Harbour

Shipwrecks, fur seals, and panoramic views – all on a hike above Ocean Harbour.

As the sun rose on 8 March, it painted the grassy slopes of South Georgia Island a deep golden color, and dropped a hint of a rainbow into the offshore mist. As I snapped a photo of this splendid sight, I knew we were in for an incredible day. Our first stop: Ocean Harbour, which had once been home to a sealing and whaling operation. In the bay is the derelict wreck of the three-masted ship Bayard, once a cargo ship that sailed the world from India to Fiji and from South Africa to South Georgia, but now home to hundreds of nesting shag; and an old hut, now home to visiting researchers.

View of Ocean Harbor, with the “Endurance” and the wreck of the “Bayard” – South Georgia.

We set out to hike up into the hills surrounding the bay. Read on and be sure to check out the photo gallery.

South Georgia – Godthul Bay

Up close and personal with fur seals.

Our ship spent the sunny afternoon of 7 March in Godthul Bay. It was calm and clear, so they pulled out the kayaks and allowed us to roam (in pairs) around the bay. It was entrancing to simply park within the kelp forest and watch the fur seal pups frolicking – and they were as curious about us as we were about them! I highly encourage you to take three minutes to enjoy this video of the fur seals; for you, as for me, patience will pay off. You can almost imagine them, just like human children, daring each other to touch the kayak paddle!

Playful seal pups in Godthul Bay, South Georgia.

South Georgia – Grytviken

A hike from Maiviken to Grytviken, and a toast to Shackleton!

Before breakfast on the misty morning of 7 March, I was among a hardy group that was shuttled via Zodiac to the shore in Maiviken, a small bay in the center of South Georgia’s eastern coastline. We sloshed our way up through the soggy hillside to the rocky height of land on the Thatcher peninsula, and down into the storied whaling village of Grytviken. This tiny settlement encapsulates, in a few small acres, every important aspect of South Georgia human history – sealers, whalers, explorers, soldiers, governors, researchers, and even tourists. Read on and check out the gallery!