Salisbury Plain, Prion Island & Elsehul
A beautiful sunrise welcomes the beginning to our last day on South Georgia. Sun beams stream through the clouds and down past the mountains in the east and the beautiful early morning light bathes the beach which is to be our landing sight.
King penguins in their hundreds greet us ashore and soon are wandering up to us inquisitively and occasionally pecking our garments. Their beautiful colors glow in the gentle morning light. We spend the morning walking along the huge beach up to the large rookery which rises from the coastline up a slope flanked by tussock grass. We soak in another extraordinary wildlife spectacle. On our return some of us head out into the green plain with Gracie Glacier in the distance. The plain is dotted with many fur seal pups and probably as it still early, many are nursing.
We return to a great brunch.
Well nourished we are soon on our way for our visit to Prion Island. We are greeted on land by the men who are constructing the boardwalk which leads up to the area where the Wandering Albatrosses are nesting. The first part is a piece of cake, however once into the mud and the holes in the tussock; the walk becomes a challenge for most of us. The effort is well worth it as we get our first glimpses of albatrosses on their nests as well as a good number of Giant Petrels and their large chicks. However the icing on the cake is to be able to witness two Wanderer’s courtship displaying. The bill drumming, the gentle sounds, the long call skywards, gentle preening and the fully extended wing display leaves us in awed silence. We sit in the tussock mesmerized by such gentle beauty. Throughout this incredible journey we have oftentimes marveled at the flying Wanderers; to be able to now see them nesting and spending so much time strengthening their long lived partnerships with such grace is amazing. As we board our Zodiacs we are all able to get good views of the South Georgia pipit feeding on the shore line rocks. What a way to end a wonderful landing!
The hot dogs and beer taste very good, as we sail for Elsehul on a flat calm sea. By late afternoon we board the Zodiacs for a farewell cruise in this very scenic bay. We are treated to a feast of fur seal on the beaches, Macaroni penguins returning to their rookery and deftly leaping on to the rocks and then after time spent preening make their way up the steep rocky face and up to the nesting area and finally we get close views of three species of albatross and their chicks dotted like sentinels on the steep tussock slopes.
By 20.30 the grey mist has all but swallowed up our last glimpse of South Georgia and whilst we are sad to leave we are also deeply aware that we have been treated to an indescribable experience these past few days for which one can only say thank you.
A beautiful sunrise welcomes the beginning to our last day on South Georgia. Sun beams stream through the clouds and down past the mountains in the east and the beautiful early morning light bathes the beach which is to be our landing sight.
King penguins in their hundreds greet us ashore and soon are wandering up to us inquisitively and occasionally pecking our garments. Their beautiful colors glow in the gentle morning light. We spend the morning walking along the huge beach up to the large rookery which rises from the coastline up a slope flanked by tussock grass. We soak in another extraordinary wildlife spectacle. On our return some of us head out into the green plain with Gracie Glacier in the distance. The plain is dotted with many fur seal pups and probably as it still early, many are nursing.
We return to a great brunch.
Well nourished we are soon on our way for our visit to Prion Island. We are greeted on land by the men who are constructing the boardwalk which leads up to the area where the Wandering Albatrosses are nesting. The first part is a piece of cake, however once into the mud and the holes in the tussock; the walk becomes a challenge for most of us. The effort is well worth it as we get our first glimpses of albatrosses on their nests as well as a good number of Giant Petrels and their large chicks. However the icing on the cake is to be able to witness two Wanderer’s courtship displaying. The bill drumming, the gentle sounds, the long call skywards, gentle preening and the fully extended wing display leaves us in awed silence. We sit in the tussock mesmerized by such gentle beauty. Throughout this incredible journey we have oftentimes marveled at the flying Wanderers; to be able to now see them nesting and spending so much time strengthening their long lived partnerships with such grace is amazing. As we board our Zodiacs we are all able to get good views of the South Georgia pipit feeding on the shore line rocks. What a way to end a wonderful landing!
The hot dogs and beer taste very good, as we sail for Elsehul on a flat calm sea. By late afternoon we board the Zodiacs for a farewell cruise in this very scenic bay. We are treated to a feast of fur seal on the beaches, Macaroni penguins returning to their rookery and deftly leaping on to the rocks and then after time spent preening make their way up the steep rocky face and up to the nesting area and finally we get close views of three species of albatross and their chicks dotted like sentinels on the steep tussock slopes.
By 20.30 the grey mist has all but swallowed up our last glimpse of South Georgia and whilst we are sad to leave we are also deeply aware that we have been treated to an indescribable experience these past few days for which one can only say thank you.
