January 14, 2024August 26, 2024

Afternoon on the Beach at Godthul

This post is part of our second once-in-a-lifetime expedition to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. Click to expand this section and view the table of contents if you don’t want to read this sequentially, or you are looking for a specific part of the trip.

Not the Typical Beach Day

In the afternoon, we had two options. The first was a 6km, one-way hike to Sandebugten, which was promoted as being even more difficult than the Shackleton walk, and promised no wildlife. The second option was a more relaxed walk along the beach, with the chance to explore a gentoo penguin colony. My cold made me similar to a boogery elephant seal at this point so I opted for the beach walk. As this was our last landing in South Georgia, Andy decided to keep me company (they’d lost him at “no wildlife”).

For reference, the hike is marked “red” in the guidebook. This is the initial ascent up through the steep tussock and spongey ground concealing gremlin fur seals. I did this section last year to get to a penguin colony and am still haunted by the “bushes that bite and grass that growls,” my nickname for the seal-laden tussock.

Hikers in red jackets navigate a grassy hillside dotted with orange flag markers under a partly cloudy sky.

The beach walk delivered on wildlife, with more fur seals and elephant seals than you need for an afternoon.

A fur seal with its mouth open, appearing to yawn or call out, sits among tall green grass in a coastal area.

A close-up of a curious fur seal with wet, silver-gray fur, gazing directly at the camera.

A fur seal with wet, dark brown fur lifts its head, eyes closed, while sitting on a rocky beach.

A wet fur seal pup peeks out from tall, green grass in a coastal area.

A fur seal pup nursing on an adult seal lying on a rocky surface, surrounded by other seals in the background.

Close-up of a fur seal's flippers, showing their textured, webbed structure, with other seals resting on rocky ground in the background.

A large, sleepy seal resting on a bed of seaweed and rocks, with tired eyes half-open, nestled against the backdrop of tall green grass.

A close-up of a seal peering through tall green grass with a curious expression, with dried white salt on its nose

There we also king and gentoo penguins. The moulting kings look so uncomfortable and we were careful to give them lots of space.

A solitary King penguin stands on a pebbly beach, with its striking yellow and orange neck contrasting against its sleek black and white feathers.

Close-up of a King penguin's head, showcasing its vibrant orange and yellow neck markings, sleek black beak, and smooth feathers against a blurred natural background.

Close-up of a molting king penguin, its orange beak and patches of yellow visible amidst its shedding feathers, standing against a green grassy background.

Three Gentoo penguins with bright orange beaks and feet walk across a rocky shoreline.

A single Gentoo penguin with an orange beak and feet stands on rocky terrain, wings slightly spread.

Another highlight of this landing was spotting a South Georgia pipit. Although we’d seen one before, this time it was easier to photograph since we weren’t bobbing around on a zodiac, and it wasn’t camouflaged against a raft of kelp.

A small, brown-speckled bird stands on wet kelp and rocks near driftwood.

We took a leisurely zodiac ride before heading back to the ship. Along the way, we spotted two penguins perched on an iceberg. I’m still amazed how many icebergs we saw in South Georgia this year.

Two gentoo penguins walking side by side across a snowy, icy landscape with a soft blue gradient in the background.

Two gentoo penguins carefully walking down a steep, snowy ice slope towards greenish water below.

We made our way to a waterfall cascading down the cliffs. Blue-eyed shags with chicks nestled in their nests roosted on a nearby cliff and seals circled us in the water.

A tall waterfall cascades down moss-covered rocks, with smaller streams flowing over boulders at the base.

Several cormorants perch on a rocky cliff with tufts of grass, while one penguin stands below, against a backdrop of rugged mountains.

A cormorant feeds its fluffy chick on a rocky nest perched atop a cliff.

Back on the ship, we saw the hikers making their way across a near vertical cliff-face.

A group of hikers in bright jackets trek across a rugged, grassy mountainside, scattered among rocks and patches of golden moss.

We picked up the hikers about four hours later on the other side of the peninsula. Some were so caked in mud that they had to be hosed off at the back of the ship. While it must have been an incredible adventure, I was perfectly happy with my choice to stay on the beach.

Map showing South Georgia Island's Cumberland Bay, with key locations marked including Grytviken, Godthul, Maiviken Fjord, and Ocean Harbour.

During the nightly briefing, Greg shared the weather map showing ominous purple—indicating strong winds (and seasickness medication) ahead. These intense winds would likely extend our two-day journey to the Falklands.