Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A blue-colored pinnacle iceberg near Coronation Island, South Orkneys
South Georgia
860 miles (1,385 km) E of the
Falkland Islands.
∑
sgisland.org
South Georgia Museum:
∑
sgmuseum.gs
A dramatic island of soaring,
ice-clad mountains and huge
glaciers, South Georgia is a
haven for an astonishing con-
centration of marine fauna. The
best and most visited wildlife
sites are on its more hospitable
northern coast, where
Salisbury
Plain
and the
Bay of Isles
are
home to large rookeries of king
penguins, and
Albatross Islet
, a
nesting colony of the rare,
semimythical wandering
albatross. Cruise stops also
explore the human history of
South Georgia, which was a
magnet to thousands of seal
hunters and whalers in the late
19th and early 20th centuries,
though today the island has no
permanent population. At
Grytviken
visitors can explore
the eerie remnants of an aban-
doned whaling station, com-
plete with the rusting hulks of
several ships slowly sinking into
the harbor. Within its grounds
are the
South Georgia Museum
,
which houses displays on the
island's human and natural
history, a small restored church,
and an old whalers' cemetery.
The cemetery includes the
grave-site of British explorer
Ernest Shackleton, who made
the first crossing of South
Georgia on the final leg of his
rescue of the crew of the stricken
Endurance
(see p271)
.
South Orkney Islands
574 miles (924 km) SW of
South Georgia.
En route from South Georgia
to the Antarctic, but much
less visited than the other
Subantarctic islands, are the
remote South Orkney Islands.
Linked to the Antarctic
Peninsula by a massive range
of submarine mountains, the
South Orkneys comprise two
large and several smaller
islands, each covered in snow
and ice and punctuated
by barren mountains. Zodiac
landings take place on the
biggest island in the chain,
Coronation Island
, where
Shingle Cove is refuge to a
rookery of Adelie penguins
and a breeding colony of
Weddell seals. Conditions
permitting, visits also explore
Laurie Island
, site of an
Argentinian meteorological
station that has been in
operation since 1904.
Antarctic Wildlife
The wildlife of the Subantarctic islands and Antarctica is every bit
as breathtaking as the region's stunning landscapes. Biggest of all
is the blue whale, the world's largest animal, which visits Antarctica
during the summer to feed on abundant krill. Humpback, minke,
sei, fin, and orca whales can also be sighted, together with several
species of dolphin. Onshore, penguins are the greatest attraction:
eight different species form breeding colonies, from smaller
chinstrap and punk-like macaroni penguins to colorful king and
emperor penguins. Seals, including huge elephant seals, crabeater,
Weddell, leopard, and fur seals, slumber on ice floes and beaches.
On cliff sides, an incredible array of marine birds, from petrels, shags,
terns, and skuas to rare species of albatross, gather in nesting
colonies. Like most Antarctic fauna, they are best observed in
summer, February especially.
Macaroni penguins congregating on the shoreline, South Georgia
For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99
