whaling – David Kotz

South Georgia and the Falklands

Wrapping it all up – with the best photos!

Well, that about wraps it up folks. I’ve just finished blogging about our February-March trip to South Georgia Island and the Falkland Islands. (It’s now mid-June, and I’ve been backdating the posts to keep them in chronological sequence with the trip.) If you’ve landed on this post and want to read the whole story in order, start here.

Jack and David (at center) trying to photograph seabirds.

During the trip I snapped over 10,000 photos and videos. I kept about 2,900, and posted about 400 in the galleries associated with this blog. Four percent – not bad. But I have one final gallery for you: my 40 favorite photographs. Enjoy!

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 – 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 – 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!