At Sea, Transit from South Georgia to the Falkland Islands
53° 32.48’S and 042° 00.54’W. This latitude and longitude is the position of Shag Rocks, the tops of a mountain rising from the depths and breaking the surface of the South Atlantic, nearly 146 nautical miles from the nearest point of land, South Georgia. This was also where the National Geographic Explorer found herself at 0630 this morning. These rocky peaks (the highest point being 71 meters), far from land, have no beaches, and no vegetation.
What these few rocks do have is a breeding population of South Georgian Shag. These marine birds, very similar to the Antarctic Cormorant/Shag, eat fish they catch by pursuit diving. The Shag is known as an excellent swimmer, not as great as the beloved penguins, but excellent as far as flying birds go. The rocks, named after their only inhabitant, are nearly impossible to land on and only on a rare calm day with the tide just right are seals ever seen hauled out on the rocky shore.
The ship slowed in the early morning light in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the Southern Right Whales that are often found feeding around Shag Rocks. Through binoculars, the shags on the rocks were observed, as well as multitudes of Giant Petrels and Albatross soaring astern of the ship. We looked in vain, however, for the right whale, and after a long look at those imposing peaks, covered in the black dots of nesting shags, the National Geographic Explorer continued on her way to the Falkland Islands.
688 miles between us and our next destination, and these lonely rocks in the middle of the sea tell us that we still have far to go.
53° 32.48’S and 042° 00.54’W. This latitude and longitude is the position of Shag Rocks, the tops of a mountain rising from the depths and breaking the surface of the South Atlantic, nearly 146 nautical miles from the nearest point of land, South Georgia. This was also where the National Geographic Explorer found herself at 0630 this morning. These rocky peaks (the highest point being 71 meters), far from land, have no beaches, and no vegetation.
What these few rocks do have is a breeding population of South Georgian Shag. These marine birds, very similar to the Antarctic Cormorant/Shag, eat fish they catch by pursuit diving. The Shag is known as an excellent swimmer, not as great as the beloved penguins, but excellent as far as flying birds go. The rocks, named after their only inhabitant, are nearly impossible to land on and only on a rare calm day with the tide just right are seals ever seen hauled out on the rocky shore.
The ship slowed in the early morning light in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the Southern Right Whales that are often found feeding around Shag Rocks. Through binoculars, the shags on the rocks were observed, as well as multitudes of Giant Petrels and Albatross soaring astern of the ship. We looked in vain, however, for the right whale, and after a long look at those imposing peaks, covered in the black dots of nesting shags, the National Geographic Explorer continued on her way to the Falkland Islands.
688 miles between us and our next destination, and these lonely rocks in the middle of the sea tell us that we still have far to go.
