Gold Harbor, Cooper Bay; South Georgia
Icebergs, Fin whales, Blue whales, Right whales – after another stellar sea passage we have arrived at the crown jewel of the southern ocean, South Georgia. Morning found us on the southeastern coast at Gold Harbor.The scene beggars description. A black sand beach impossibly full of life, with Elephant seals the size of compact cars (and a good deal heavier), hundreds of Fur seals, and thousands of King penguins – this was our morning fare. Some hiked up into the luxuriant tussock grass and found nesting Light-mantled Sooty albatross, while others strolled the busy strand and communed with Kings. This explosion of life is unrivalled, and deeply affecting.
Cooper Bay was our afternoon’s destination; another shockingly vibrant spot. The highlight for all was the bustling Macaroni penguin colony. Despite the modern connotation, the bird’s name has nothing to do with pasta. Instead go back to the 18th century, when Captain Cook reported of the vast numbers of Fur seal here and was followed by an army of sealers from both Old and New England. “Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it Macaroni” - the birds’ colorful headdress reminded the sailors of a popular dandyish hairstyle of the day, the ‘macaroni’.
Although the most numerous of South Georgia’s penguins with a current population of perhaps 2.5 million pairs, this is the most difficult species to see. Macaronis breed on precipitous slopes and come ashore in diabolical surf. Like other crested penguins, they lay two eggs in a bit of a scrape that passes for a nest. Surprisingly, the first egg is considerably smaller than the second, and almost never hatches. The chicks we saw looked hale and hearty, and were close to fledging.
As we departed Cooper Bay in the evening, the ship was surrounded by un-countable numbers of small prions and petrels, heading in to their mysterious burrows in the tussock grass. This amazing island absolutely teems with life; it stands as one of the most exciting places on earth.
Icebergs, Fin whales, Blue whales, Right whales – after another stellar sea passage we have arrived at the crown jewel of the southern ocean, South Georgia. Morning found us on the southeastern coast at Gold Harbor.The scene beggars description. A black sand beach impossibly full of life, with Elephant seals the size of compact cars (and a good deal heavier), hundreds of Fur seals, and thousands of King penguins – this was our morning fare. Some hiked up into the luxuriant tussock grass and found nesting Light-mantled Sooty albatross, while others strolled the busy strand and communed with Kings. This explosion of life is unrivalled, and deeply affecting.
Cooper Bay was our afternoon’s destination; another shockingly vibrant spot. The highlight for all was the bustling Macaroni penguin colony. Despite the modern connotation, the bird’s name has nothing to do with pasta. Instead go back to the 18th century, when Captain Cook reported of the vast numbers of Fur seal here and was followed by an army of sealers from both Old and New England. “Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his cap and called it Macaroni” - the birds’ colorful headdress reminded the sailors of a popular dandyish hairstyle of the day, the ‘macaroni’.
Although the most numerous of South Georgia’s penguins with a current population of perhaps 2.5 million pairs, this is the most difficult species to see. Macaronis breed on precipitous slopes and come ashore in diabolical surf. Like other crested penguins, they lay two eggs in a bit of a scrape that passes for a nest. Surprisingly, the first egg is considerably smaller than the second, and almost never hatches. The chicks we saw looked hale and hearty, and were close to fledging.
As we departed Cooper Bay in the evening, the ship was surrounded by un-countable numbers of small prions and petrels, heading in to their mysterious burrows in the tussock grass. This amazing island absolutely teems with life; it stands as one of the most exciting places on earth.
