South Georgia day 4 - Cooper Bay and Drygalski Fjord

The second landing of the day was in Cooper Bay, again another spot where due to the limited scale of the site it was necessary to split into two parties, with a brief shore landing before or after a zodiac boat trip.

On the boat trip we enjoyed watching Light-mantled Sooty Albatross flying together as well as calling, an eerie but delightful sound, this species was a real highlight of the whole trip:

Snowy Sheathbills moved around on the rocks:

The reason for this landing though was our one and only encounter with Macaroni Penguins:

This pair were allopreening and generally fussed each other for the duration of our landing:

A group emerged from the sea together and made its way to the main colony:

Out at sea a small group of Gentoo's went past:

It was on the ride back to the ship that I was put off zodaics.  We'd already been told they had a tendency to flip, we were back heavy, I'm always carrying all my gear.  Our driver for this trip decided to go flat-out back to the boat, causing the lady next to me to have a panic attack.  I decided after that trip I would pick and choose zodiac landings to suit me.

We sailed from Cooper Bay to Drygalski Fjord to enjoy the scenery:

and wildlife including this lone fur seal on ice:

The clouds came in and wreathed the fjord, limiting visibility but we did sail right up to the glacier and then turned around and headed back out to sea.

In the fjord we got our first proper taste of glacial ice:

The temperature dropped, the wind picked-up, it was time to head in for dinner.

South Georgia day 4 - Gold Harbour

We started the day anchoring in Gold Harbour.  Inquisitive Snowy Sheathbills had flown on to the ship (I counted about ten of them), this one was having a go at one of the lifeboats, I like the reflection of the colour:

We landed close to another penguin colony, enjoyed Gentoo Penguins:

King Penguins (with a Gentoo for comparison):

More Elephant Seals:

When they move the penguins scatter.  A Brown Skua took advantage of the chaos to steal and egg, ehich it had soon devoured:

The Elephant Seals like to gather together in wallows and then lie-on each other:

On this landing as well as the extensive colony we also sighted a King Penguin with a rare plumage condition, which the on-board biologist described as being 'dalmatian'.  Even the feet are mottled pink and black, it looks like either some mutation or could be something akin to leucicism?  I spotted a second such bird further along the colony:

We were told King Penguins breed all year-round, here's proof:

The colour of their plumage is remarkable up-close:

There's a hill to climb at Gold Harbour too which provides excellent views back across the harbour:

Back on the beach, this lone Elephant Seal looks snug and smug:

A not yet moulted juvenile King Penguin had tried having a swim.  They can quickly get into trouble without their adult plumage and then killed and eaten.  This one learned a lesson without actually paying the highest price for it:

From Gold Harbour it was on to our last landing on South Georgia...

South Georgia day 3 - Prion Island

The landing area on Prion Island is small so the groups were subdivided to either be on shore or an a zodiac boat tour.  We started on the zodiac, so boated our way around the island.

Snowy Sheathbills made their first appearance of the trip:



They look like unfinished chickens with a colorful though scaly bill.

A South Georgia endemic was dabbling in the shallows, the South Georgia Pintail:

Nesting on the top of the cliffs, were Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, magnificent birds, this one coming in to land:

Soaring over the cliff:

And just gliding around:

They really are beautiful to behold and to observe, a magical wildlife moment.

Once we'd finished our tour, including sighting South Georgia Pipit (my fellow passengers humoured me with my enthusiasm for seeing this little bird, the last passerine of the trip), however a decent picture eluded me due to the combination of poor light, the motion of the ocean and general user error.

We did get our turn on shore, joining the Gentoo Penguins:

and the King Penguins:

Then climbed the trail, remarkably similar to what you find in UK nature reserves, to approach the nesting Wandering Albatrosses:

As the wind had died right down the birds were sleeping. it would be too wasteful of energy to go out searching for food.  If you look closely you can just see the small pinkish patch of feathers on the face which confirms this as a breeding adult.

Back down on the shoreline I finally got a decent picture of a South Georgia Pipit, a wonderfully golden bird:

Even the insect is in focus in this picture!  Apparently the birds are already recolonising the mainland, where the rats have been eradicated.  It shouldn't be too long before the birds are widespread across South Georgia once again.

From Prion Island we headed back out to sea and South ahead of our final day on South Georgia.  On the way, with calm winds and clear skies I tried some more photography of sea birds, snapping Antarctic Prion:

Black-browed Albatross:

and my personal favourite, the Light-mantled Sooty Albatross.  I am particularly pleased with the first picture here:

South Georgia day 3 - Right Whale Bay

For our third day in South Georgia, we'd headed back North over night with a view to landing on Prion Island though with the prevailing winds it was decided to first land on the shore at Right Whale Bay, another King Penguin colony.

It's another 50,000+ breeding pairs colony, so remarkable in size, sound and smell!

In the middle here you can see Brown Skuas, working as a pair, displaying and harassing the King Penguins.  They are very effective predators:

A fellow passenger recorded the moment when a fur seal broke the neck of a King Penguin that was too close or wrong place/wrong time.  The Giant Petrels and Brown Skuas were immediately in to feed:

There's a small hill you can climb to get a view down onto the main bulk of the colony:

which in turn provides spectacular views.  You can see fur seals and various ages of Penguin in this picture, the brown fluff balls are chicks in the final stages of fledging before they can go to sea.  There were no new chicks though, the eggs the adults were brooding were about to hatch but hadn't as yet:

The penguins learn to find each other by sound alone, displaying when they re-meet or are pair bonding:

They are very handsome birds:

and inquisitive:

Fur seal pups however are just so cute:

They know they've been caught fighting:

At the base of the hill is a snow-melt waterfall, enjoyed by Elephant Seals, South Atlantic Fur Seals together with the moulting Penguins:

It's quite a scene:

From Right Wale Bay it was time to head again to Prion Island.