South Georgia - short history & trusting wildlife

South Georgia is a remote island in the South Atlantic.  Although it's the same distance from the Equator as the Isle of Man, it is located in the cold Antarctic waters, resulting in it having about 160 glaciers.   The few flat areas have been  used by people either to process or, now, study whales; or for creatures like penguins or seals to breed.

http://www.sgisland.gs/index.php/(h)the_island

Above - King penguins and young fur seals welcoming us ashore on South Georgia.

The island was claimed for Great Britain in 1775 by Captain Cook, who noted the vast number of seals, or "sea bears", as they were called then.  These seals attracted sealers to the region, and during the 19th century hundreds of thousands of seals were slaughtered for their fur and blubber, which produced a rich oil.


As the seals became almost extinct, the sealers turned their attention to whales, and built a number of whaling stations where the catch could be processed.

Again, during the first half of the 20th century, thousands of whales were killed to satisfy our need for oil, and whale-bone corsets!  Around 1960, these stations were abandoned to the elements and are still rusting away.  Whale numbers are recovering, but most species are still endangered.

King penguins greeting us curiously.  (Turn the volume up!)

South Georgia was also the setting of an epic journey by Sir Ernest Shackleton and a few of his party.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Shackleton set off from South Georgia, intending to cross Antarctica on foot.  Two years later....he returns to Stromness, a whaling station on South Georgia, having spent months with his ship, "Endurance", trapped on the ice; endured a 800-mile voyage in an open boat; and finally, a 36 hour hike across the island's glaciers.

Meeting the whaling station manager again after nearly 2 years, Shackleton was congratulated on crossing the White Continent. Shackleton had to explain that he hadn't set foot on Antarctica; he had lost his ship to the pack ice, and that most of men were trapped on Elephant Island, living on seals....

Baby fur seals inspecting newcomers to their beach.

Nordic Walking blogging will be resumed shortly!  If you wish to try Nordic Walking, or chat about penguins, please call or email me!

Peter
07703-404-931