January 10, 2024August 25, 2024

Gold Harbour: The Fragility of South Georgia’s Wildlife

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.

A Sad Day for Wildlife

In the afternoon, we moved to Gold Harbour, home to a massive King Penguin colony. Last year, Gold Harbour was the highlight of our expedition—the weather had been perfect, and the sheer number of penguins was overwhelming. Nothing could live up to that day.

With Gold Harbour closed for landings due to avian flu, we set off in the zodiacs. While most of the zodiacs headed to the colony, my guide took us on a cruise along the opposite shore to observe dead elephant seals. The foggy conditions added to the somber scene. We later learned that this was a new consequence of the avian flu epidemic. It was sobering to witness the toll the outbreak had taken on the wildlife. Then, to top it off, our zodiac got stuck on some rocks, and we had to wait for another zodiac to tow us free.

Elephant seal lying on a rocky shoreline, mouth open in a vocal display.

We finally made our way over to the King Penguin colony. From the zodiacs, it was harder to grasp the full scale of the sprawling colony. The penguins were at various stages of moulting, and the ground was covered in feathers. There was also a thick layer of penguin feathers in the water, which meant no more snorkelling for Andy.

Colony of king penguins and elephant seals on a rocky beach with a cruise ship and zodiacs in the background.

King penguin colony on a rocky beach with a single brown fluffy chick standing among the adults.

King penguin swimming in the water with a large colony gathered on the shore in the background.

Three king penguins standing closely together on a sandy shore with lush green grass in the background.

It was refreshing to see some living elephant seals, though many of them were moulting and also covered in penguin feathers which looks very uncomfortable. Elephant seals undergo a process known as a “catastrophic moult,” during which they shed their outer layer of skin and fur in large patches. This moulting process, which typically lasts a few weeks, requires them to haul out on land as their new skin regenerates.

Elephant seals resting on a sandy beach, with king penguins in the background.

Elephant seals resting on the beach, one with molting skin, lying on black sand near the water's edge.

Close-up of an elephant seal's face, lying on a rocky beach, with dark eyes and whiskers prominently visible.

Elephant seal pup swimming with its head above water, flippers visible behind.

Before heading back to the ship, we cruised though the narrow fjords.

Misty seascape with large jagged rock formations rising from the calm water.

The bright side of this excursion was spotting a Leucitic fur seal, which is quite rare. Leucitic fur seals are distinguished by their pale, creamy coats due to a genetic condition that reduces pigmentation. Unlike albinos, they still retain normal eye colour and some pigment in their skin, allowing them to thrive alongside their darker-coated colony members.