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Large iceberg, South Georgia

Antarctica: South Georgia - Grytviken, Saint Andrew's Bay
February 2024

Grytviken Saint Andrew's Bay
King Penguins, Saint Andrew's  Bay, South Georgia

 

Grytviken, a former whaling station, where Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried.

An enormous colony of King Penguins at Saint Andrew's Bay.

Grytviken

South Georgia Grytviken Bay
Sailing into Grytviken Bay.
South Georgia Grytviken whaling station
Grytviken whaling station.

In September 1921 Sir Ernest Shackleton embarked on what was to be his final voyage, a return to the Antarctic aboard the Quest. Sadly he didn't reach his goal, dying of a heart attack early in the morning of the 5th of January, 1922, in his cabin while the Quest was moored at Grytviken.

South Georgia Grytviken Bay

Though his body was set to be returned to England, his wife decreed that he be buried on South Georgia in the landscape that he loved.

South Georgia Grytviken Bay

Several reasons we chose this particular Quark expedition: the landscape and icebergs of course; to see penguins, and as this was billed a Penguin Safari it was ideal; to see as many of the places associated with Shackleton as possible, and his grave was top of the list.

Quark take Shackleton's legacy very seriously, with great respect for his achievements and character.

 

South Georgia Grytviken whaling station
The cemetery where Shackleton is buried,just outside Grytviken whaling station.
South Georgia Grytviken Bay

It was a glorious morning when we sailed into Grytviken Bay. The cemetery with Shackleton's grave lies a little outside the the whaling station, very close to shore on a slight rise.

South Georgia Grytviken Bay

Due to the restrictions imposed by bird flu this part of the coast was off limits, but we paid a most memorable tribute, sailing in the Zodiac close to the shoreline close to his grave and raising a glass of whisky to "the great Sir Ernest Shackleton" - it was very moving.

 

South Georgia Grytviken Bay
Shackleton's grave is marked by a tall granite stone.
South Georgia Grytviken Bay

 

Shackleton's grave is the only one in the cemetery which faces south, towards Antarctica.

Close by the ashes of Frank Wild, Shackleton's second in command on the Endurance expedition, are interred. Wild was also with Shackleton on the Quest and took over the command after his death. He died in South Africa in 1939 and was cremated and buried there. 72 years later he had his wish to be buried next to Shackleton realised when his ashes were moved form South Africa to the Grytviken cemetery.

South Georgia Grytviken Bay

Grytviken whaling station is an interesting place, we'd seen nothing like it before. Now unused, the remains of the machinery and storage vats, buildings and boats are being preserved as much as possible. We joined the short guided tour which explains the history and daily life of the station.

South Georgia Grytviken Bay
South Georgia Grytviken Bay
A crow's nest can be seen on the Dias on the right.
South Georgia Grytviken Bay
South Georgia Grytviken Bay
Harpoon gun and winches on a whaler.
South Georgia Museum Grytviken
Replica of the James Caird in the South Georgia Museum.
The 22 foot long James Caird, originally one of the lifeboats of the Endurance, was strengthened and made as seaworthy as possible by Harry McNish, the carpenter of the expedition before the epic sea journey Shackleton and his five man crew made through stormy seas, 800 nautical miles, from Elephant Island to South Georgia. The original is at Dulwich College, Shackleton's old school.

The smell must have been terrible, perhaps not quite so bad near one of the two bakeries. There was a store where the whalers could buy things. Perfume was popular -alcohol was forbidden so they would distil the perfume!

The manager's villa is now home to the South Georgia Museum which tells the history of the island: whaling, exploration, science, etc. It has rooms on Shackleton, whaling and the Falklands War. It has hi-tech displays such as a lidar-generated 3D walk-through of the station.

South Georgia Museum Grytviken
Reproductions of photographs taken by Frank Hurley on the Endurance expedition.
South Georgia Museum Grytviken
1982 conflict with Argentina.
South Georgia was occupied by Argentinian forces on April 3rd and retaken by the British on April 25th.
South Georgia Grytviken
Large pot used to render oil from blubber.
South Georgia Museum Grytviken
Sea Fan Coral
South Georgia Grytviken

The station had a football pitch cinema and a small church, though the whalers do not seem to have been godly men.

South Georgia Church Grytviken
The church at Grytviken.
South Georgia Church Grytviken
Inside the very simple church at Grytviken.
South Georgia Church Grytviken

A laboratory was established at King Edward Point in 1924-251 and the British Antarctic Survey took over in 1969 when whaling stopped at Grytviken.

There are a lot of seals and King Penguins around the station.

South Georgia seals Grytviken
Fur seals and whale bones.
South Georgia Pintail Grytviken
South Georgia Pintail.
South Georgia seals Grytviken
Fur Seals and Elephant Seals.
South Georgia seals Grytviken
Young Fur Seal.
South Georgia seals Grytviken
South Georgia seals Grytviken

For the most part the seals looked very content, a lot of them asleep.

 

South Georgia penguins Grytviken

 

 

South Georgia penguins Grytviken
King Penguins, the young are moulting their down feathers which are not waterproof.

 

Saint Andrew's Bay

 

South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg

 

Cruising to Saint Andrew's Bay from Grytviken there were a huge number of icebergs about.

South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
Government of South Georgia Harbour Patrol.
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
Humpback Whale
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
Ready to calve.

 

There were some massive bergs around, biggest we'd seen so far.

South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
Breaching humpback whale.

 

 

 

And quite a lot of humpback whales both near and in the distance. Several were breaching, one tail-slapping, on the edge of a fog bank

South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
South Georgia iceberg
Icebergs as far as the eye could see.

 

 

Approaching Saint Andrew's Bay we could see huge numbers of penguins on the shore. There can be anything from 150,000 to a million King Penguins here depending on the stage of the breeding season. An amazing sight.

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
King Penguins at St Andrew's Bay.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
Penguins around the meltwater estuary flowing from the huge glacier behind.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
There were a lot of glaciers extending down to the sea.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
Some of the glaciers stop short of the water - many are retreating.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

We headed out on the Zodiacs for a closer look.

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

 

 

Such a privilege to be able to visit here and see this massive colony of King Penguins.

 

 

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

 

 

The Zodiacs get very close to the shore and we travelled the length of the colony with close-up views of penguins on rocks, swimming in the sea and en masse in front of the glacier and mountain backdrop - sights I'll never forget.

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
There were still chicks around, covered in brown, downy feathers.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
A heap of Elephant Seals - they don't seem to bother the penguins.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
There were Fur Seals almost everywhere we went.

 

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

 

 

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
Quite the contortionists!

 

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

 

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay Snowy Sheathbill
Snowy Sheathbill
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
Some of these penguins are resting on their heels and tail to minimise contact of their feet with the cold rock.

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
A seabird (cormorant?) takes off from the water with a fish.
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

 

 

 

South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins
South Georgia Saint Andrews Bay King Penguins

 

References

  1. History of King Edward Point (Station M)