Elsehul & Right Whale Bay, South Georgia Island
Sometimes, even in the Southern Ocean, you can catch a good day with the weather. The sun will shine, the seas will calm, and the wind will just gently push you along to your next destination. That was yesterday, and today the weather did its best to literally make an impression… either upon us or perhaps with us pressed into the sands of one South Georgia’s wild beaches!
We began under cloudy skies with a long Zodiac cruise within the bay of Elsehul, a small inlet at the very north end of the island. The swells rolled in from the sea, but not so violently as to inhibit our enjoyment of this remarkable spot. All four native penguin species could be spotted along the shore; giant petrels lazed upon the water’s surface, likely too fat from gorging themselves on the late season victims of attrition to fly off; and three species of albatross soared along the tussac-covered ridge lines keeping a watchful eye trained on their nearly-fledged chicks. And yet, amongst all these magnificent birds, a few mammals managed to steal the scene. Antarctic fur seals, formerly considered extinct, absolutely covered the beaches and spilled into the surf in frolicking mass. Pups and mothers cried out to one another incessantly as they searched for a nursing reunion somewhere in the mayhem.
Whether watching them from Zodiac in the morning, or later dodging their playful charges on foot we couldn’t help but be amazed at their mobility and agility – both in and out of the water. Seeing them torpedo through the waves and kelp forests, we marveled at their ease and comfort in the aquatic realm. You might think that after evolution gave them such a gift for the sea, they’d have been penalized on land, but you’d be wrong. Even after hiking, nay climbing, high above the beach at Right Whale Bay, I still found fur seals at my feet and around every bend in the tussac.
In fact, this is a problem facing South Georgia’s management. The fur seals have come back so well and in such great numbers, they are spreading beyond the breeding beaches and into the hillsides where the destroy tussac grass and with it important breeding habitat for the sea birds. What a strange dilemma to be facing. On one hand, everyone is thankful that the species survived eradication. On the other, what do we do with so many of them?!
Luckily for us, on this day at least, we could simply enjoy them. Playful and energetic, they can put on a quite a show for the wayward visitors here. And when you add into the cast all the other abundant wildlife, including a guest appearance from another mammal striving to return from the brink—the southern right whale, you hardly notice the weather has changed. We smiled and laughed and wondered through 50+ knots of wind and almost blinding sleet. So much so, in fact, that once we finally returned to the vessel for the night, we found that in a place such as this, you can have a fabulous day in spite of the weather.
Sometimes, even in the Southern Ocean, you can catch a good day with the weather. The sun will shine, the seas will calm, and the wind will just gently push you along to your next destination. That was yesterday, and today the weather did its best to literally make an impression… either upon us or perhaps with us pressed into the sands of one South Georgia’s wild beaches!
We began under cloudy skies with a long Zodiac cruise within the bay of Elsehul, a small inlet at the very north end of the island. The swells rolled in from the sea, but not so violently as to inhibit our enjoyment of this remarkable spot. All four native penguin species could be spotted along the shore; giant petrels lazed upon the water’s surface, likely too fat from gorging themselves on the late season victims of attrition to fly off; and three species of albatross soared along the tussac-covered ridge lines keeping a watchful eye trained on their nearly-fledged chicks. And yet, amongst all these magnificent birds, a few mammals managed to steal the scene. Antarctic fur seals, formerly considered extinct, absolutely covered the beaches and spilled into the surf in frolicking mass. Pups and mothers cried out to one another incessantly as they searched for a nursing reunion somewhere in the mayhem.
Whether watching them from Zodiac in the morning, or later dodging their playful charges on foot we couldn’t help but be amazed at their mobility and agility – both in and out of the water. Seeing them torpedo through the waves and kelp forests, we marveled at their ease and comfort in the aquatic realm. You might think that after evolution gave them such a gift for the sea, they’d have been penalized on land, but you’d be wrong. Even after hiking, nay climbing, high above the beach at Right Whale Bay, I still found fur seals at my feet and around every bend in the tussac.
In fact, this is a problem facing South Georgia’s management. The fur seals have come back so well and in such great numbers, they are spreading beyond the breeding beaches and into the hillsides where the destroy tussac grass and with it important breeding habitat for the sea birds. What a strange dilemma to be facing. On one hand, everyone is thankful that the species survived eradication. On the other, what do we do with so many of them?!
Luckily for us, on this day at least, we could simply enjoy them. Playful and energetic, they can put on a quite a show for the wayward visitors here. And when you add into the cast all the other abundant wildlife, including a guest appearance from another mammal striving to return from the brink—the southern right whale, you hardly notice the weather has changed. We smiled and laughed and wondered through 50+ knots of wind and almost blinding sleet. So much so, in fact, that once we finally returned to the vessel for the night, we found that in a place such as this, you can have a fabulous day in spite of the weather.
