Jason Harbour and the Wind Wins at Gritviken

The day began with another early start, with the first zodiacs scheduled to leave at 7:00 am for a cruise around Jason Harbour. The plan for the afternoon as a landing at Grytviken.

Turquoise waters and cloud-covered mountains at Jason Harbour on South Georgia.

We took one look at the weather. It was pouring rain. After yesterday’s zodiac cruise in similar conditions, we decided to sit this one out. It turned out to be the right call, with most people reporting plenty of seals, including more leucistic individuals, but otherwise an experience very similar to the previous afternoon.

Arriving at Grytviken

By lunchtime we had arrived at Grytviken, one of South Georgia’s most famous historic sites. Not to flex, but we’ve been here twice – in 2023 and in 2024.

Before anyone can land at Grytviken, a South Georgia government representative must come aboard to complete the required formalities. That part went ahead as planned, but the South Georgia Heritage Trust staff assessed the conditions and concluded it was simply too windy to come out to the ship for the planned presentation.

Rough seas and breaking waves alongside Silver Wind while sailing near South Georgia.

After waiting in hope that conditions might improve, the announcement finally came: the landing was cancelled.

Reverting to Plan B

After safely delivering the government representative back ashore, the Silver Wind set off in search of more sheltered waters.

The ride north was anything but sheltered. The seas built quickly and it was too windy to even be out on the balcony. In fact, opening the door resulted in a wind tunnel that blew several ceiling tiles clean out of place. We watched (from the comfort of our cabin TV) as waves completely enveloped the bow of the ship.

Large waves breaking over the bow of Silver Wind during rough seas near South Georgia.

Even in the rough conditions, wildlife was never far away. Seals repeatedly appeared alongside the ship, somehow matching our speed through the waves with what looked like almost no effort. Watching them effortlessly surf the swells while we rolled our way north was an impressive reminder of just how perfectly adapted they are to life in the Southern Ocean.

 



Next up –> Stromness and Another Shot at Grytviken

Andy and Jennifer Martin

We’re Andy and Jennifer—two former corporate executives who chose long ago to prioritise experiences over stuff while pursuing our passions for travel and photography. From the Arctic to Antarctica, and most places in between, we’ve captured the world through our lenses and love sharing those stories. Our careers gave us the means, but our purpose is inspiring others to explore and helping people create images they’re proud of.

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