Cooper Bay, South Georgia

This post is part of our epic adventure to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica. In case you don’t want to read this sequentially, or you are looking for a specific part of the trip, here are some shortcuts:

• Introduction
• Departure Day
• Santiago, Chile
• Torres del Paine, Chile
• El Calafate, Argentina
• Ushuaia, Argentina
• Embarkation Day
• Stanley, Falkland Islands
• Sea Days
• Tour of the Ship
• Right Whale Bay, South Georgia
• Salisbury Plain, South Georgia
• Grytviken, South Georgia
• Fortuna Bay, South Georgia
• Stromness, South Georgia
• Godthul, South Georgia
• St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia
• Gold Harbour, South Georgia
• Cooper Bay, South Georgia <-- You are here
• The Scotia Sea Surprise
• Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula
• Port Lockroy, Antarctic Peninsula
• The Drake and Ushuaia, Argentina

Cooper Bay, South Georgia – January 6th

54.7926° S, 35.8071° W

3 Celsius / 37 Fahrenheit – Sunny

After an amazing morning at Gold Harbour, we headed south for about two hours. The wind was gusting to 60 knots, but we were able to find a protected landing site.

Once ashore, we climbed the steep tussock-covered slope to reach a macaroni penguin colony. Similar to Godthul, the tussock often concealed territorial fur seals, so we had to watch our steps carefully.

There were so many nesting birds that we had to walk single file, often backtracking to find another path so as not to disturb them. The view of the colony from the above wasn’t great, even with my long lens, but we could see their signature vibrant yellow-orange crest feathers.

I decided to head back to the landing site, and the hike down took longer than expected due to gentoo penguin traffic. I’m amazed me how these small, flightless birds managed to navigate such challenging terrain.

When I reached the landing site, there were several macaroni penguins just hanging out in perfect light.

Andy went snorkelling, and though the visibility was poor he had some great wildlife encounters.

Before returning to the ship, we took a zodiak cruise through a nearby fjord. It was so calm and peaceful

As the day drew to a close, our ship embarked on a serene journey through the majestic Drygalski fjord. The captain circled in both directions so the passengers in quarantine could see the breathtaking views of glaciers against the backdrop of a captivating pink sky.

Once out of the fjord our internet access was restored and we learned that Andy had won the accommodation lottery for Brooks Lodge for July 2024!!! The deposit needed to be paid within five days, but we had a few sea days ahead of us to sort that out.

Our original itinerary included another day in South Georgia, but with the spectre of approaching weather, Greg decided to head for the peninsula a day early. It was a bittersweet moment, bidding adieu to this remarkable island that had blessed us with impeccable weather and unforgettable experiences. However, as we reflected on the perfect day we had just concluded, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment and gratitude for ending our time in South Georgia on such a remarkable high.

It really had been a perfect day. Little did we know what lay ahead.

Next up — The Scotia Sea