Today was our last day to experience the wilderness of South Georgia. Tucked away into a small cove at the northern tip of the island, the National Geographic Endurance was surrounded by a sampling of almost every species we had seen over the last week. Nesting albatrosses tucked away in the tussock grass eyed Zodiacs passing by, and thousands of macaroni penguins called out to each other and at passing skuas warning them away from their precious eggs. On the beaches, hundreds of Antarctic fur seals eyed us warily as we watched them battle for small parcels of territory on the cobbled shore; female fur seals fought the males off with even more vigor than other males – likely just wanting a moment’s rest with their newborn pups before the males claimed their rights over their harems. As the Endurance pulled anchor and started making her way north, she made one last stop to bow into a cove of Trinity Island. Here, thousands of macaroni penguins made a colony, and one hundred years ago, a small colony of fur seals survived the slaughter of the fur trade to repopulate the entire Southern Ocean.
3/10/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Port Egmont, Saunders Island
Today turned out to be stunning, from beginning to end. It began with a gorgeous sunrise – the huge sky was lit up with resplendent reds, oranges, and yellows, giving way to blues and indigos. The seas calmed as we made our way to Saunders Island. The first part of the morning was spent walking from Port Egmont to the main settlement. Port Egmont was the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands. The British were unaware of the French settlement at Port Louis on East Falkland, which was founded the year before in 1764. At the main settlement, we were treated to demonstrations of sheepshearing, a working sheepdog, and wool sorting. After wandering around for a bit, we headed to the landing area for lunch. This was a special affair – a lamb barbecue with copious salad choices and, of course, complemented with drinks. In the afternoon, we landed on a vast, stunning beach and walked to observe colonies of black-browed albatrosses, rockhopper penguins, and blue-eyed shags. It was a sensational afternoon. Today gave us a much clearer idea of what life is like in the "camp."