South Georgia
54º 37.35’ S; 35º 56.19’ W; Gold Harbor
Imagine a place where wildlife is so plentiful that there is barely a place to put your foot. Dark coarse sand pummeled by crashing surf rose to a crest and then leveled off before it butted against a hummocky hillside dotted with tussock grass. The slope rose sharply until its irregular surface was covered in snow. And still it stretched skyward to mountain peaks carved by glaciers that even today cascade down valleys and over rocky outcroppings, which slowly weather and wash to the sand on the beach. Those tiny rocky particles were cool in the warm sunshine and bodies stretched upon it carpeting the plot from one end of the eyebrow-like curving bay to the other. Gingerly we stepped, cameras in our hands, between the blubbery mass of thousands of elephant seals. Bull adults dozed, their proboscis noses vibrating with audible snores, our presence seemingly unimportant in their plan for the day. But how did one know that his harem was threatened? Right there behind his back another with no family of its own snuggled happily against a receptive female, his forelimb protectively draped around her form. It took no more than a roar from the master of the crowd to send the intruder on his way. While adults napped the youngsters squirmed, their huge questioning eyes seeking the solace of their absent mother for they were “weaners” now, set out to learn the ways of the world, although barely 3 months old. Their curiosity was insatiable. Anything that stood in place became the target of snuffling noses and gumming jaws. Anything, including rain pant-clad legs, tripod feet and orange life jacket bags. Seamen, sent to the shore to aid in our Zodiac landing found themselves doing double duty, guarding our inflatable vests from rather large baby teeth. Sadly in the season past some adults and youngsters didn’t make it. Their carcasses became the banquet table for scrapping skuas and demonstrative giant petrels who when gratified joined the sleeping throngs.
The regal kings massed here too. Although adults they also exhibited an intense interest in all around. They rode the waves like the best of surfers and in spite of a tumbling frenzy in the shallows, were on their feet and standing proud within the blink of an eye. One really needed to hire a companion to walk with, back to back, for if you stopped to visit these long-flippered flightless birds, another invariably marched up behind to see what you were about. We almost would have preferred a trip to the dentist as noon time approached and our boats carried us away, it was that painful to leave.
Early afternoon found us anchored in beautiful Cooper Bay. The wind was up and the waves were too but we weren’t about to let it dampen our day. Zodiacs cruised the rocky shores and dogged the glistening kelp while our eyes searched the hills for just the right spot where those elusive Macaroni’s dwelt. They seemed to prefer the penthouse view at the top of dramatic cliffs. Their little short legs carried them up slippery snowy slopes, their muddy feet leaving a well defined trail visible from far away. But our eyes kept drifting toward the south, to massive tabular bergs hauled up in the shallows beyond Cooper Island. The Endeavour seemed to be the vessel of choice to view these monoliths from. As the day drifted towards night we snaked our way between the largest ones. In and out of Drygalski Fjord shutters clicked capturing this special light to share with others.
54º 37.35’ S; 35º 56.19’ W; Gold Harbor
Imagine a place where wildlife is so plentiful that there is barely a place to put your foot. Dark coarse sand pummeled by crashing surf rose to a crest and then leveled off before it butted against a hummocky hillside dotted with tussock grass. The slope rose sharply until its irregular surface was covered in snow. And still it stretched skyward to mountain peaks carved by glaciers that even today cascade down valleys and over rocky outcroppings, which slowly weather and wash to the sand on the beach. Those tiny rocky particles were cool in the warm sunshine and bodies stretched upon it carpeting the plot from one end of the eyebrow-like curving bay to the other. Gingerly we stepped, cameras in our hands, between the blubbery mass of thousands of elephant seals. Bull adults dozed, their proboscis noses vibrating with audible snores, our presence seemingly unimportant in their plan for the day. But how did one know that his harem was threatened? Right there behind his back another with no family of its own snuggled happily against a receptive female, his forelimb protectively draped around her form. It took no more than a roar from the master of the crowd to send the intruder on his way. While adults napped the youngsters squirmed, their huge questioning eyes seeking the solace of their absent mother for they were “weaners” now, set out to learn the ways of the world, although barely 3 months old. Their curiosity was insatiable. Anything that stood in place became the target of snuffling noses and gumming jaws. Anything, including rain pant-clad legs, tripod feet and orange life jacket bags. Seamen, sent to the shore to aid in our Zodiac landing found themselves doing double duty, guarding our inflatable vests from rather large baby teeth. Sadly in the season past some adults and youngsters didn’t make it. Their carcasses became the banquet table for scrapping skuas and demonstrative giant petrels who when gratified joined the sleeping throngs.
The regal kings massed here too. Although adults they also exhibited an intense interest in all around. They rode the waves like the best of surfers and in spite of a tumbling frenzy in the shallows, were on their feet and standing proud within the blink of an eye. One really needed to hire a companion to walk with, back to back, for if you stopped to visit these long-flippered flightless birds, another invariably marched up behind to see what you were about. We almost would have preferred a trip to the dentist as noon time approached and our boats carried us away, it was that painful to leave.
Early afternoon found us anchored in beautiful Cooper Bay. The wind was up and the waves were too but we weren’t about to let it dampen our day. Zodiacs cruised the rocky shores and dogged the glistening kelp while our eyes searched the hills for just the right spot where those elusive Macaroni’s dwelt. They seemed to prefer the penthouse view at the top of dramatic cliffs. Their little short legs carried them up slippery snowy slopes, their muddy feet leaving a well defined trail visible from far away. But our eyes kept drifting toward the south, to massive tabular bergs hauled up in the shallows beyond Cooper Island. The Endeavour seemed to be the vessel of choice to view these monoliths from. As the day drifted towards night we snaked our way between the largest ones. In and out of Drygalski Fjord shutters clicked capturing this special light to share with others.
