If you ever decide to visit Antarctica and if funds allow, an itinerary that includes South Georgia Island will be well worth the investment.
South Georgia Island has to be one of the most mind blowing experiences when it comes to the sheer number of birds and wildlife that inhabit this very special place in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
Home to some of the largest king penguin populations on the planet, it can be overwhelming to first time visitors, especially when landing at Salisbury Plain or St. Andrews Bay. Each of these sites accommodate king penguins in the hundreds of thousands! I have seen eyes well up and jaws drop at the mere sight and sound of nature on such a massive scale. On a previous trip, one traveler in particular with tears in their eyes said to me "Jackie, I don't know what to say, I am completely overwhelmed!"
January in particular is prime baby time with fur seal pups scattered along the beaches sleeping, nursing, hanging out in small groups or crying in search of their mothers. It is hard to not fall completely in love with them.
King penguins come and go, mating, bickering, sitting on eggs, tending their young, or emerging from the water with bellies full, as they make their way back to the colony to feed their hungry offspring. It is hard to comprehend how they can possibly find each other in the chaos, but somehow they do! The sounds coming from the colony is constant as conversations and calls fill the air!
Predators such as the Antarctic brown skuas hover above in search of eggs or small chicks to pluck away at opportune moments. Giant Southern Petrels also present a danger both on land and in the water. Elephant seals are also seen resting along the beaches or among the tussock grass. At this time of the year the massive males have returned to sea while the females and juveniles remain.
At Gold Harbor which happens to be one of my favorite locations, the king penguin colony is set against a stunning backdrop with the Bertrand Glacier cascading down and on a day like the one we had, glorious sunshine and blue skies made it picture postcard perfect! As part of the expedition team, I have the benefit of going ashore in the the shore party staff members. This allows me to capture wide angle and landscape images without people.
Soon after landing at Gold Harbor, I quickly unpacked my bag and set up my gear as it would not be long before guests started to arrive. As I was doing this, a pair of king penguins began to head right in my direction. Oh what luck as the image I have so wanted to capture in this spot was transpiring right before my eyes! A pair of king penguins on the beach in the foreground set against the stunning glacier and scenery. I waited as they got closer and stopped, then slowly positioned myself to get the right composition, getting down low to include the background. As they turned their heads to face each other I fired off a few images before they decided to move on. This has to be one of my favorite images from South Georgia and one I intend to grace the walls of my home.
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