Stromness Station & King Haakon Bay, South Georgia
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition started its voyage from Stromness Station in 1914. It would be two more years before Shackleton would return to the whaling station, completing one of the most compelling survival stories in recent history. This morning some of us retraced the last few miles of Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean’s epic crossing of South Georgia, albeit in much more favorable conditions than the trio encountered nearly 100 years prior. Between gusts of wind, only the sounds of gentoo penguins and fur seals, rightful owners of this bay, reached our ears. The station now sits silently, exposed to the elements and slowly being transformed by the very environment it protected its workers from. Those wishing to spend more time photographing the scene chose instead to hike a short distance to a nearby waterfall.
Just a short cruise away, the Captain skillfully maneuvered the National Geographic Explorer amidst rolling seas close to Cave Cove in King Haakon Bay. Utilizing the ship’s fleet of Zodiacs, we were able to see the very spot where the James Caird, after a miraculous feat of navigation by Worsley, first landed on South Georgia. Barely an indentation in the rocky cliff, this solid piece of land could not have been more important to those brave sailors. Amidst the calls of white-chinned petrels and under the watchful eyes of Antarctica fur seals, we strain to understand some of the trials and tribulations these men faced. Tonight we weighed anchor and set our course for the Great White Continent, Antarctica, with more respect for those early explorers.
