Fortuna Bay, Stromness Harbor & Jason Harbor
The day started early with a good leg stretch to see the king penguin colony at Fortuna Bay. It was a great chance to see the remaining few “oakam boys,” last season’s chicks. We could hear their calls as they were desperate for one last meal from their parents.
After breakfast we sailed into Stromness Harbor, which is one of the more infamous whaling stations on the island. This is where Sir Ernest Shackleton reconnected with civilization after his incredible boat journey and epic trek across South Georgia. We landed on the beach and hiked up the flat valley plain to the waterfall that Shackleton and his men slid down. It was surreal to retrace part of their route. We also had the chance to sit on the beach and watch the comical antics of the Antarctic fur seal pups. These pups were born between late October and early December and gather on the beaches to wait for the females to return for foraging trips. The pups are nursed until they are about four months old. We saw a couple of blond fur seal pups and this is just a genetic variation that occurs in roughly one in every thousand pups.
In the afternoon we sailed into Jason Harbor, a new landing site for the National Geographic Explorer. It was a fantastic chance to hike up into the thick tussock grass and for the chance to explore the area. A small herd of reindeer passed closely by us and we were surprised to see one large male reindeer with two huge sets of antlers! We saw a small colony of breeding king penguins and of course the ever present fur seals. There was also a chance for a short zodiac cruise around the bay and into a small lagoon. It was a great way to end another adventurous day in this wildlife paradise called South Georgia.
The day started early with a good leg stretch to see the king penguin colony at Fortuna Bay. It was a great chance to see the remaining few “oakam boys,” last season’s chicks. We could hear their calls as they were desperate for one last meal from their parents.
After breakfast we sailed into Stromness Harbor, which is one of the more infamous whaling stations on the island. This is where Sir Ernest Shackleton reconnected with civilization after his incredible boat journey and epic trek across South Georgia. We landed on the beach and hiked up the flat valley plain to the waterfall that Shackleton and his men slid down. It was surreal to retrace part of their route. We also had the chance to sit on the beach and watch the comical antics of the Antarctic fur seal pups. These pups were born between late October and early December and gather on the beaches to wait for the females to return for foraging trips. The pups are nursed until they are about four months old. We saw a couple of blond fur seal pups and this is just a genetic variation that occurs in roughly one in every thousand pups.
In the afternoon we sailed into Jason Harbor, a new landing site for the National Geographic Explorer. It was a fantastic chance to hike up into the thick tussock grass and for the chance to explore the area. A small herd of reindeer passed closely by us and we were surprised to see one large male reindeer with two huge sets of antlers! We saw a small colony of breeding king penguins and of course the ever present fur seals. There was also a chance for a short zodiac cruise around the bay and into a small lagoon. It was a great way to end another adventurous day in this wildlife paradise called South Georgia.
