St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia
Penguin city, we have arrived! Though we have certainly had our share of penguins throughout our voyage, the staggering size and volume of the king penguin colony at St. Andrews nevertheless astounded each and every one of us as we stepped ashore just after breakfast. Fur and elephant seals were just waking up for the day as the Zodiacs brought the first few guests into the landing, but even their barking and belching couldn’t overcome the din of the king penguins. An estimated 150,000 pairs make their homes in this veritable metropolis, and it seemed that every last one of them was busy with something today. Some were molting, some were mating. Some were courting, some were commuting. Some were singing, and some were swimming. But it sounded as if all of them had something to say.
Whether squawking about the morning traffic, singing out the amorous intentions, or simply trying to place an order for more food from their parents, the cacophony of noise echoed off the hillsides and across the glacial lakes of their chosen home, a bay of remarkable beauty in its own right; with or without the penguins. There are certainly larger penguin colonies in the world, but the beauty of these regal birds, their size, and their interactive behavior all combined to make our morning’s stop a phenomenal highlight of not only this expedition but of each of our lives as wildlife enthusiasts.
Still our day was not just about penguins, though it was possibly dominated by their presence. We also managed some great views of the local reindeer population as they busily went about fattening up for the oncoming winter. After lunch we set out on the first of our “expedition style” hikes in South Georgia. Over half of us trekked overland from the small bay of Maiviken to the next one over, Gritviken. We tromped through tussock hummocks, across spongy meadows, and along melt streams and mountain lakes for the better part of the afternoon while making our way to meet the ship in the old whaling station and final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The Old Norwegian church greeted our final turn into the valley before our momentum carried us down into the beautifully functional museum and a visit to the Boss’s gravesite to pay our respects. By the time dinner was served, many of us were no doubt mentally and physically overwhelmed by the day’s events; and yet so very thankful for the opportunity to visit such a remarkable place, a true pièce de résistance of our journey…if not for tomorrow, that is.
Penguin city, we have arrived! Though we have certainly had our share of penguins throughout our voyage, the staggering size and volume of the king penguin colony at St. Andrews nevertheless astounded each and every one of us as we stepped ashore just after breakfast. Fur and elephant seals were just waking up for the day as the Zodiacs brought the first few guests into the landing, but even their barking and belching couldn’t overcome the din of the king penguins. An estimated 150,000 pairs make their homes in this veritable metropolis, and it seemed that every last one of them was busy with something today. Some were molting, some were mating. Some were courting, some were commuting. Some were singing, and some were swimming. But it sounded as if all of them had something to say.
Whether squawking about the morning traffic, singing out the amorous intentions, or simply trying to place an order for more food from their parents, the cacophony of noise echoed off the hillsides and across the glacial lakes of their chosen home, a bay of remarkable beauty in its own right; with or without the penguins. There are certainly larger penguin colonies in the world, but the beauty of these regal birds, their size, and their interactive behavior all combined to make our morning’s stop a phenomenal highlight of not only this expedition but of each of our lives as wildlife enthusiasts.
Still our day was not just about penguins, though it was possibly dominated by their presence. We also managed some great views of the local reindeer population as they busily went about fattening up for the oncoming winter. After lunch we set out on the first of our “expedition style” hikes in South Georgia. Over half of us trekked overland from the small bay of Maiviken to the next one over, Gritviken. We tromped through tussock hummocks, across spongy meadows, and along melt streams and mountain lakes for the better part of the afternoon while making our way to meet the ship in the old whaling station and final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The Old Norwegian church greeted our final turn into the valley before our momentum carried us down into the beautifully functional museum and a visit to the Boss’s gravesite to pay our respects. By the time dinner was served, many of us were no doubt mentally and physically overwhelmed by the day’s events; and yet so very thankful for the opportunity to visit such a remarkable place, a true pièce de résistance of our journey…if not for tomorrow, that is.
