South Georgia

South Georgia only 170 kilometers long and to 240 kilometers wide on a map it is merely a dot but when confronted in person it has a very powerful presence Prince Olaf Harbor is one of the more significant historical sites in South Georgia this is likely the very spot where Captain James Cook went ashore to claim the island for England in January 1775 immediately upon cook's return to civilization news spread of the plethora of seals to be had in South Georgia within several years the islands fur seal and elephant seal populations were decimated for their fur and oil a whaling factory operated from 1911 to 1917 and then became sure based from 1917 to 1931 by the time the sealing stopped and the last whale was butchered more than one and a half million fur seals in 175,000 whales were killed in South Georgia the wreck of the Brutus built in Glasgow in 1883 was originally involved in the night trade trade before coming to South Georgia she was last used as a coal Hulk and principle of harbor before breaking her moorings in a storm and getting wrecked ashore here we are in Fortuna bei he walked one and a half kilometers in from our landing site into the king penguin colony here there's about seven thousand breeding pairs so that would be could be as many as twenty thousand animals can you count the chicks and non breeders they're in all different stages development we have Moltres young chicks adults on eggs juveniles so it's just a fantastic scene we have about 50 reindeer as well just beyond the Penguins and we've just a few minutes ago saw some shooting the young and we're raiding the area where Shackleton finished the last of his walk so just fantastic spot it's so amazing it's just beyond words isn't it to be oh just to be here just to see it it's a such a privilege Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried here and a simple sealers and whalers cemetery a large headstone has been placed in his honor with an inscription by Robert Browning I hold that a man should strive to the utmost for his life set prize after a few words from our expedition leader woody we all toasted the boss with a taut of Guinness the protected Harbor offers a first opportunity for some of the kayakers to get on the water and explore the wrecks and other delights of Greek thicken the name grief again translates literally in Norwegian to pot cold from the try pots used to render the elephant seal oil which littered the beach when the Norwegians first set up the first whaling factory here in grief accan this was the most productive and long-lasting of the nine whaling stations on South Georgia 54,000 whales were processed at Cree pickin including the largest animal ever to be seen by mankind a massive blue whale measuring 112 feet long formerly the whaling station managers house the museum is a fantastic collection of artifacts and information covering the natural history of the island the whaling and sealing era and exploratory history as well as a modern-day explorers many of us did some exploration on our own going on guided groups up Brown Mountain or across the valley to my vacant and somewhat up a steep hill overlooking the station the church in grief again originally stood in straumann Norway and was dismantled and redirected along with the two bells in the tower here in grief acun in 1913 Gold Harbor is one of the most beautiful spots and we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day anticipating a wildlife extravaganza the staff join in the excitement and are dressed and ready to go local weather effects blasted us with 50 knot gusts and disappeared as fast as they arrived the Burt tribe glacier has receded inland a kilometer since 1985 and is now a hanging glacier with majestic waterfalls spilling down its cliff face you the largest seals in the world are the southern elephant seal the largest males of the species are absolutely massive and some may weigh in around 3,800 kilograms only the biggest and the strongest get the opportunity to become Beach masters they rule over their harem which may include up to 100 females however it isn't as glamorous as it may first appear because the beachmaster must always be on guard for interlopers wanting to challenge his title and meet with his females deafening roar will often deter the challengers and sometimes a chase will be enough but often a fight will ensue and the beachmaster and Challenger will rear up and do battle other younger males not old enough for their own hair and will participate in mock battles to hone their skills when they may one day need to fight for their life the object of their desire is the female who has just given birth and while still suckling her single infant will soon come into estrus South Georgia through everything she had at us today sustained winds of 60 knots with gusts even higher put us in a force 12 storm the stormy seas provided an incredible show as the waves and swells smashed into the mass of icebergs around the ship hundreds of thousands of prions and petrels carpeted the sea providing a wildlife spectacle like nothing I have seen in 15 years of polar travel a glorious rainbow lit up the sky behind the ship as we bid farewell to South Georgia and headed south to our next adventure perhaps it was a similar storm that Captain Cook experienced as he rounded Cape Farewell and left South Georgia for the last time when he wrote lands doomed to perpetual frigid never to feel the warmth the sun's rays whose horrible and savage aspect I have no words to describe

Channel: wayneJohnflicks

Views: 46,461

Keywords: South Georgia, Antarctica, Adventure, King Penguins. Fur seals, Elephant Seals, Storm, Editing, Adventure Filming

Id: slIBY4DHh_Q

Length: 12min 0sec (720 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 25 2011