An amazing start to 2024 - Cooper Bay and Gold Harbour, South Georgia Island, 1 January

Such An amazing day. South Georgia Island is like a made up place - you don't quite believe what you're in for until you're staring at it. Or more accurately, until your eyes are darting around inside your head trying to keep up with all the action happening before them.

In the morning I opened my curtains to a spectacular coastal mountain range and an incredible row of icebergs. Then a flock of pintail ducks flew right past my window. I looked down and there were a couple of seals frolicking right below me. Then a half a dozen penguins swam by. All within about 15 minutes. I don't blame you if you don't believe me - I wouldn't either. But I speak the truth, and it has continued in this vein for 2 days.

Linda has already told you about our limitations because of the Avian flu, and while it's a bit sad I won't be snorkelling here, where we'd be virtually guaranteed some wildlife encounters, I can't complain a single bit about what we're otherwise experiencing. On this day 2 zodiac excursions, to Cooper Bay in the am and Gold Harbour in the pm. The extra bonus is that we are exploring together because I'm not off with the snorks.

Oh dear, quite the obstacle

In Cooper Bay we were surrounded by seals and penguins, porpoising and rolling around in the water, occasionally coming in close to check us out, but mostly just going about their business. They languished on the beach and the rocks, in waterfalls and popped up unexpectedly among the enormous fronds of kelp.

We also saw our first king and macaroni penguins, along with more sightings of the 3 brushtails we've previously encountered. The gentoos, adelies and chinstrap often seem like clowns, flapping about, face planting regularly and inelegantly sliding off icebergs. 

A gentoo faceplant

sliding off icebergs

Whereas these 2 new penguins seem more dignified in different ways. The kings stroll around at a measured pace like statesmen, although they sometimes seem resigned. The macaronis look dressed to impress with their fancy colourful eyebrows, and they seem to have attitude. I feel like if they were dogs they'd be schnauzers. 

king penguins on a dignified stroll

the magnificent macaroni penguin

camouflaged in the kelp

Giant petrels were also everywhere, stalking around the penguin colonies and hanging around the fur seal pups. 

Giant petrels surveying for penguin chicks

In the afternoon we had a very scenic excursion around Gold Harbour. You know Linda ticked off her bucket list for the trip with her dream selfie with penguins on our first landing in Antarctica. Well we ticked off my bucket list for the trip on this excursion with a leopard seal snoozing on an iceberg.

We cruised around frolicking seals and porpoising penguins, along the beach with a lot of kings on it. Unfortunately also a lot of elephant seal carcasses, presumably the victims of the Avian flu. Interestingly we don't see alot of dead penguins - it seems to be hitting the seals alot harder. We worry for the penguins that are clustered around the carcasses.

Scads of penguins under a glacier

these huge fluff balls everywhere

Glorious

a little bit gruesome but for the record

clowns - just because we can't get enough of them and to cheer us up

The kelp is incredible - huge and thick like leather belts, and there was a beautiful waterfall along the way. The colours and contrasts are spectacular. We'll do a separate post to focus on the landscape.