Cooper Bay, South Georgia
Overnight the National Geographic Explorer made excellent speed and we were fortunate to arrive off the southern end of South Georgia in time for a bonus landing. We set foot back on solid ground this afternoon when we landed at Cooper Bay.
It immediately became clear why South Georgia is such a favorite place of the expedition staff. The landing beach was full of fur seals, giant petrels, skuas, and southern elephant seals. During this time of the year, the majority of the animals are going through a molt and we saw our first king penguins finishing theirs along the beach. In addition to all the wildlife activity our eyes quickly became adjusted to the bright green of the tussock coated hillsides.
We went for a good hike up into the hills and it felt really good to have a bit of exercise after two days at sea. At the top of the hill, we were surrounded by incredible mountain scenery and lovely views.
After spending time in the hills and on the beach, there was just enough daylight to see the macaroni penguin colony during a short zodiac cruise. Macaroni penguins have very large colonies on South Georgia but most of these are inaccessible so it was a fantastic opportunity to see these pugnacious penguins up close. It was a magical introduction to the wildlife wonders that are found on this special island.
Overnight the National Geographic Explorer made excellent speed and we were fortunate to arrive off the southern end of South Georgia in time for a bonus landing. We set foot back on solid ground this afternoon when we landed at Cooper Bay.
It immediately became clear why South Georgia is such a favorite place of the expedition staff. The landing beach was full of fur seals, giant petrels, skuas, and southern elephant seals. During this time of the year, the majority of the animals are going through a molt and we saw our first king penguins finishing theirs along the beach. In addition to all the wildlife activity our eyes quickly became adjusted to the bright green of the tussock coated hillsides.
We went for a good hike up into the hills and it felt really good to have a bit of exercise after two days at sea. At the top of the hill, we were surrounded by incredible mountain scenery and lovely views.
After spending time in the hills and on the beach, there was just enough daylight to see the macaroni penguin colony during a short zodiac cruise. Macaroni penguins have very large colonies on South Georgia but most of these are inaccessible so it was a fantastic opportunity to see these pugnacious penguins up close. It was a magical introduction to the wildlife wonders that are found on this special island.
