Consistent with my advice to try and avoid October polar expeditions, with two sea days on Aurora Expedition’s Sylvia Earle as we sailed from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia (remembering we reversed our itinerary and will visit Antarctica last), the seas were up to 18 feet (consistently 12 feet). Sylvia Earle – with her X-Bow – has handled them impressively. Every onboard activity and meal went off without hesitation; pretty much all guests were up and about, and boy, did I sleep soundly. That said, with an expedition spirit and a solid expedition team, my experience so far has been excellent…and South Georgia is what I have been most waiting for!
Our first landing was at Jason Harbour, South Georgia, in the afternoon of the third sea day. All the “I just want to get on land” statements changed to “WOW!” South Georgia really showed herself off on this rocky strip of beach that fronted thick tussock and behind that bog before rising into rocky mountain. Elephant seals, including huge beachmasters, fur seals, king penguins, South Georgia pintail ducks…and a singular gentoo penguin, among others, greeted us.
As the beach was filled with aggressive elephant seal females with their newborn pups (some hours old with umbilical cords still attached), beachmasters defending their harems, male fur seals doing the same while waiting for the real influx of females to arrive, and the tussock hiding female fur seals that had to be avoided, the hike to get to good viewing areas was a bit challenging.
I was one of the first onshore and could move faster than most, so my experience was both exhilarating and afforded me a bit of welcome and reflective solitude.
I wandered over to an area where a big bull elephant seal was resting about 30 feet from me, but with the tussock offering a bit of a barrier. Standing on top of one, I had a great view of him and he of me. And he made sure I knew he was there, rising up and then staring me down.
I put my camera down to see what else was happening, and I saw another beachmaster swimming nearby. Would it be a confrontation? I didn’t think so, especially since the swimming seal was lower, so leverage would be in favor of the big guy who has been staring me down.
Wrong! The fight was on! It was impressive, to say the least, though it lasted only a few minutes. These huge animals, which seemed like giant blobs of fat when resting, rose up over seven feet, let out guttural noises, and after posturing, unleashed a short but vicious attack with the intruding male winning the battle.
Meanwhile, the females and pups could have cared less, with nursing, sleeping, protecting their space, etc., continuing on as if nothing was happening. (I did see a big male run over a pup, but the pup seemed unphazed afterward.)
A couple of skuas were walking around an area where two pups had just been birthed and were looking for scraps.
There also were three small groups of King penguins. One set had started their catastrophic molt, so their beautiful feathers were not at their best. However, a group by the water was hanging out in all their glory. I saw the joy in the faces of the guests that had caught up to me, but I also knew that a few of these magnificent birds were nothing compared to what we would see in a day or two.
I headed back to the ship, but one guest asked if we could head over to a rocky point where some female fur seals were. Our zodiac driver obliged, and the beauty of these seals really showed.
As is normal, back onboard, before dinner there is a Briefing that consists of a few short informative presentations on something relevant to where we were or will be seeing or history, as well as the plan for the next day. About halfway through, there was an interruption: Orcas on the starboard side of the ship!
I headed down to my stateroom on Deck 4 to grab my camera and a ringside seat. The pod of about ten orcas, including a very young calf, was so close to the ship that I had to put my camera down and pull out my iPhone when I wasn’t just watching and listening!
The expedition team was like a group of little children, incredibly excited because none of them had ever seen orcas in – not around – South Georgia. For me: Chills. I have seen orcas before and, in fact, had one swim right under my zodiac on another expedition, but for some reason, this pod’s casual elegance hanging out by the ship as a whole got me. (I am sure the expedition team’s enthusiasm for this very special sighting helped.)
Speaking of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), Dani is our Brazilian firebrand of an expert. Having listened to dozens of such lectures, I can unequivocally say she is the best. Dani provides more information in a way that is not only entertaining but understandable, digestible, and memorable. Similarly, the photography lectures and workshops by DJ are busy each day on everything from technical to composition. Add to that the lectures at least twice a day (which you can watch in your stateroom) on sea days, along with an actual Citizen Science program, and you have a pretty darn impressive onboard experience for a ship with no more than 130 guests!
Speaking of guests, there are only 74 on this sailing, so the expedition and crew exceed our numbers. There is a group of about 20 Chinese and, unlike what I have experienced in the past, they are such a nice group. Their dedicated expedition lead sailed with me on another ship last year, and seeing her have at least a few moments to smile on this sailing is wonderful. Noteworthy is that Aurora Expeditions has live translation of each lecture, briefing, and announcements rather than segregated ones. This seems to make things more inclusive. The Chinese do, however, have their own zodiacs with two interpreters, which makes good sense.) And, you know me, anytime I can have a bit of a multicultural experience, I am in!
Because the weather and seas other than on the east side of South Georgia are pretty bad, it looks like we will be “stuck” here for an extended period. I couldn’t think of anything better…and at least in the short-term.
Next up: More South Georgia!
