Stromness Bay, South Georgia
Hiking and history made for a wonderful combination this afternoon in Stromness Harbour. The derelict whaling station here is now best known as the place where, in 1916, Tom Crean, Frank Worsley, and Ernest Shackleton finally contacted the outside world at the end of their disastrous Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Many of us retraced their final few miles, braving the rainy, bleak conditions to climb the mountain pass from Fortuna Bay and descend into the Stromness valley adjacent to the famous waterfall that proved to be the final obstacle for the men 94 years ago.
The Shackleton party arrived to a bustling and crowded outpost of civilisation, with beaches barren of wildlife. In contrast, our modern group arrived to a clump of disintegrating buildings that have lain quiet for over 45 years but whose shores are now seal-infested. The harsh weather of South Georgia is reclaiming the site of the whaling station, and the wildlife is flourishing without the constant hunting pressure that was an accepted part of station life in the previous century.
It was a joy to share the beach today with dozens of curious fur seal pups, all keen and crowding in to see what we were up to. I think our smiles of satisfaction might have been obvious, even to them.
