Saint Andrew’s Bay & Grytviken
After a peaceful night at anchor, there were a handful of hardy penguin fanatics who chose to rise extremely early for a dawn trip back to the massive king penguin colony at Saint Andrew’s Bay. We boarded the Zodiacs at 4:30 am with a bold orange sky bathing the clouds across the eastern sky. As we arrived onshore, the high snowy peaks of South Georgia were painted in the first scarlet light of the sun’s rays. Although most of the morning hours had more subdued light, it was still exciting to be back among the thousands of penguins swarming the shores and filling the nearby colony with their raucous brays. After several leisurely hours onshore, we returned to find our landing area packed with baby “weaner” elephant seals. These weeks-old pups, whose mothers had departed for the sea, were crawling innocently on top of unattended camera bags, and even onto the laps of people sitting idly on the sand.
Back onboard, we turned the ship westward towards Cumberland Bay and the historic whaling station of Grytviken. Brent Houston gave us a slide illustrated presentation about the penguins of South Georgia. We were later joined by Jamie Watts, a British Antarctic Survey scientist from the small station at Grytviken, who told us about their research work and lifestyle at this small station. Onshore, we gathered at the grave site of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Our shipmate, writer and historian Kim Heacox, spoke some reverent words to honor “The Boss,” whose memory we toasted with rum (photo). From there, we wandered through the remains of the old whaling station which was first established in 1904, and operated until 1962. There were aging whaling vessels half sunken along the edges of the harbor, and rusting buildings and storage tanks that once held the prize of those earlier days: whale oil. Many people visited the wooden church and fine museum along the far edge of town.
After dinner, we made a special outing to visit the Grytviken church where we all joined in a warm gathering to celebrate the holiday season. Carols were sung, and hot-spiced wine was enjoyed in the twilight hours before we returned to our ship resting peacefully in the harbor.
After a peaceful night at anchor, there were a handful of hardy penguin fanatics who chose to rise extremely early for a dawn trip back to the massive king penguin colony at Saint Andrew’s Bay. We boarded the Zodiacs at 4:30 am with a bold orange sky bathing the clouds across the eastern sky. As we arrived onshore, the high snowy peaks of South Georgia were painted in the first scarlet light of the sun’s rays. Although most of the morning hours had more subdued light, it was still exciting to be back among the thousands of penguins swarming the shores and filling the nearby colony with their raucous brays. After several leisurely hours onshore, we returned to find our landing area packed with baby “weaner” elephant seals. These weeks-old pups, whose mothers had departed for the sea, were crawling innocently on top of unattended camera bags, and even onto the laps of people sitting idly on the sand.
Back onboard, we turned the ship westward towards Cumberland Bay and the historic whaling station of Grytviken. Brent Houston gave us a slide illustrated presentation about the penguins of South Georgia. We were later joined by Jamie Watts, a British Antarctic Survey scientist from the small station at Grytviken, who told us about their research work and lifestyle at this small station. Onshore, we gathered at the grave site of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Our shipmate, writer and historian Kim Heacox, spoke some reverent words to honor “The Boss,” whose memory we toasted with rum (photo). From there, we wandered through the remains of the old whaling station which was first established in 1904, and operated until 1962. There were aging whaling vessels half sunken along the edges of the harbor, and rusting buildings and storage tanks that once held the prize of those earlier days: whale oil. Many people visited the wooden church and fine museum along the far edge of town.
After dinner, we made a special outing to visit the Grytviken church where we all joined in a warm gathering to celebrate the holiday season. Carols were sung, and hot-spiced wine was enjoyed in the twilight hours before we returned to our ship resting peacefully in the harbor.
