The Grand Finale In the afternoon, we made our way to Saunders Island. Another wet zodiac ride brought us ashore, where we encountered a massive gentoo penguin colony right at the landing site. Walking a bit farther, we discovered grazing sheep and Magellanic penguins burrowing into the hillside. The orange route markers made it resemble […]
The Unexpected Beauty of the Falklands When I mentioned our expedition was heading to the Falklands, most people gave me a puzzled look. Like many, my only association with the Falkland Islands was their role in the 1982 war—until we visited last year. The islands are bursting with diverse bird life, from penguins to albatross, […]
Two Days Tuns into Three To avoid the worst of the winds—what we affectionately called the “purples”—the ship changed course. This detour added another day to our already two-day journey between South Georgia and the Falklands. Honestly, I was perfectly content staying in the cabin. I spent hours looking through the images and video from […]
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 […]
I Should Have Taken the Seasickness Meds We woke to the ship anchored in Godthul, ready for another day of exploration. Our morning excursion took us on a zodiac cruise to Cobblers Cove, where we were eager to see a macaroni penguin colony. It took about 15 minutes of cruising through the open ocean, gripping […]
The Sound of Silence We woke to gusty winds in Larsen Fjord, surrounded by an unusual number of icebergs—likely remnants from the massive ones that had broken up offshore. The swell had picked up by the time Greg summoned us to the zodiacs, however he assured us that it would be calm once in the […]
What’s Plan B? The plan for today was an ambitious one: a 6km hike from Fortuna Bay to Stromness, following the final leg of Shackleton’s famous last walk. The trek would take hikers up 300 meters in elevation and down to the abandoned whaling station at Stromness, with the ship meeting them there about four […]
Now THIS is South Georgia By midday, we moved on to Fortuna Bay, where we finally got to experience the South Georgia I remembered so well. Except unlike last year, the bay was now filled with icebergs and we landed at a different spot. Once at the landing site, Greg advised that we were free […]
A Necessary Stop in South Georgia We woke to the ship anchored off the coast of Gritviken, once a bustling whaling station and now the administrative centre of South Georgia. Expedition ships are required to visit Gritviken for biosecurity checks and to clear customs. Every crevice in our muckboots and every patch of velcro was […]
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 […]