Sign In
Blogs from South Georgia, South America - page 2
Advertisement
South Georgia Islands - Grytviken
Published: January 7th 2010South America » South Georgia » South Georgia
South Georgia Island - Jason Harbor
Published: January 7th 2010South America » South Georgia » South Georgia
South Georgia Islands - Stromness Bay
Published: January 7th 2010South America » South Georgia » South Georgia
South Georgia Islands - Right Whale Bay
Published: January 7th 2010South America » South Georgia » South Georgia
December 27th 2008
And what a sunrise it was! Overnight we had cruised slowly to Gold Harbour, and from our balcony we were greeted with the sight of a pink and yellow sky over a bank of icebergs to the east, and a dark blue sky above us and to the west over the large, deep Bertrab glacier. When we were ready to brave the cold and we emerged onto a windless deck just before four o’clock, the sun crept above the horizon and the mountaintops at the end of the bay lit up with the warmth of its first rays. Over the next fifteen minutes we watched the sun’s reflection slide gradually down the ice-clad slopes into the sea, and eventually the whole bay was bathed in the most wonderful rich golden glow. An incredible sight, and undoubtedly ... read more
Advertisement
In Shackleton's footsteps...well, sort of
Published: February 11th 2009South America » South Georgia » South Georgia
December 26th 2008
We cruised slowly on a flat sea into Fortuna Bay, dominated by the beautiful Konig Glacier at its southern extremity. The sky was perfectly blue, and the temperature was 11°C - how lucky were we with the weather? By eight o’clock we hit the beach amidst a bunch of adult male Fur Seals, and walked up onto the grassy plateau at the foot of the glaciers. Away from the beach, it was all much more relaxed. Amongst the icy streams trickling down to the sea, thousands of King Penguins and many Fur and Elephant Seals make their home. In the distance, a small herd of reindeer trotted past - a rather bizarre sight since these are creatures of the far north rather than the far south; they were introduced as a food source by early twentieth ... read more
December 25th 2008
Back on Minerva, Santa Claus and his elf arrived by Zodiac to much applause and amusement, after taking a couple of celebratory turns around the ship, and everyone took a photo with him seated next to a Christmas tree on the stern. And I always thought Santa lived at the North Pole… During lunch we saw an Orca (Killer Whale) surfacing very near the ship, plus our first iceberg as we steamed south-east to the Bay of Isles and Salisbury Plain where we anchored early afternoon and set off for shore fifteen minutes later. This is an amazing place, with one of the largest King Penguin colonies in the world. Tens of thousands of them stand all along the beach and up the hillside between Grace and Lucas Glaciers. There are many juveniles in their brown ... read more
December 23rd 2008
We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning with only a gently rolling sea under the ship. I spent the morning sorting and deleting most of the hundreds of photographs taken the previous day, and catching up with email communications, with an occasional foray onto deck to watch the Giant Petrel, Black-browed Albatross and - later - the enormous Wandering Albatross that criss-cross the ship’s wake and occasionally soar right over one’s head. As the day progressed and I found excuse after excuse to avoid visiting the gym, a damp mist crept up on the Minerva, and by late afternoon the sea around us was blanketed in thick fog that continued into the night. We had dinner with Milt and Gerry Lumpkin from Washington State - a very pleasant and amusing couple we had met over dinner ... read more
Across the Vast Southern Ocean
Published: August 9th 2007South America » South Georgia » South Georgia
March 27th 2007
It was a night like any other night in the vast Southern Ocean. The stars were hidden behind a veil of clouds, the moonless sky was as dark as India ink and it was so cold that the salty ocean froze to the deck in thick, slushy sheets. My watch group was serving the dreaded 'dog' watch from midnight to four. Under ideal conditions the dog watch could be a very pleasant time to be on deck, due to brilliant, moonlit seascapes and star-filled skies, but, on this particular night, danger was lurking in the darkness ahead of us and the lookouts stationed on the bow had to be very alert. We all knew what the path ahead of us looked like, we had been running the icy gauntlet all day, but now, in the darkness ... read more
February 16th 2006
What a magical location. This is how our travel agent described it and I now I also believe this is the truth. Where else can you see Penguins, seals and reindeer in the one location. Day 11- Monday 13th Feb The Facts: Arrival at South Georgia Zodiac Cruise and landing at Elsehul Bay Right Whale Bay landing Many Fur Seals and King Penguins The longer version: First trip of the day to Elsehul bay was supposed to be just a zodiac cruise. The waster was teeming with seals and often there is too many to land. Some Macaroni Penguins were spotted by some on the cliffs. The seals are very curious and playful and were coming quite close into the Zodiac, where they twist and turn in the water. Karen got some underwater shots, but the ... read more
