PENGUIN PALACE

Finally arrived at South Georgia, a magical landscape of snow covered mountains and icy glaciers.

St Andrews Bay was our first landing place the beaches were covered with Elephant Seals,Fur Seals and King Penguins,a wildlife spectacle straight out of an  Attenborough special.

ST ANDREWS BAY

KING PENGUIN WELCOME PARTY

 ST ANDREWS BAY.

 ELEPHANT SEAL

 GIANT PETREL

 KING PENGUINS were everywhere and I make no apologies that this post contains a lot of them.You have been warned.

 KP

 ELEPHANT SEAL

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 BACK FROM THE DEEP

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 They were very confiding and quite inquisitive.

 They often stood around in little groups,like humans chatting in the street.

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 FUR SEAL,these were far more agressive than the elephant seals and you had to be wary and not get too close.

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 THE KING PENGUIN COLONY AND ROOKERY.

 THE YOUNG KINGS ARE COVERED IN BROWN DOWN.

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 SKY POINTING IS A COMMON PENGUIN ACTIVITY.

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 YOUNG ELEPHANT SEALS HAVE LOTS OF DOUBLE CHINS.

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 All too soon it was back to the ship.
Back on board we found several SHEATHBILLS at the stern pecking away at the zodiacs.

SNOWY SHEATHBILL.

PORTRAIT OF A SNOWY SHEATHBILL.

 A PAIR OF  NICEBERGS
The afternoon landing took us to GRYTVIKEN an abandoned whaling station home to the museum and Ernest Shackletons final resting place.

 SAILING INTO GRYTVIKEN

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 ANTARCTIC TERN resting on an old oil tank.

 SOUTH GEORGIA PINTAIL

 SGP

 SGP

 I`M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES....

 This young bull was in the harbour challenging the old bull blowing bubbles and bellowing.

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 -He knows yer know.

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 FUR SEAL.

 SHACKLETONS GRAVE,we drank a toast with scotch whisky to the great explorer.The grave points due south towards the pole.

 The much scarred old bull elephant seal

 -He didn't take much notice of us or the young bull.

 Not a pretty sight.

 BABY ELEPHANT SEAL.

If its a boy he will grow up just like his dad.

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 The young bull bellowing out a challenge.

 bet his breath smells good.

 BROWN SKUA

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 OLD WHALING SHIP

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 REPLICA OF SHACKLETONS ROWING BOAT USED ON HIS EPIC RESCUE MISSION.

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 Imagine how many whales were slaughtered to fill those tanks-

 -THE CHURCH AT GRYTVIKEN

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 -This old whaler is or was named PETREL,you can just make out the name on the bow.Picture yourself a young sharp eyed sailor on board having to climb up to the crows nest at the top of the mast to look for whale spouts.

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Here comes George to take us back to Hondius.