Day 16 - Salisbury Plain and Elsehul

We woke up just as we were sailing into the Bay of Isles on the North Coast of South Georgia.  Several glaciers flow into this bay.

Bay of Isles

Bay of Isles

Bay of Isles

Bay of Isles 

Our morning landing was at Salisbury Plain, which is a wide valley within the Bay of Isles, at the foot of a Glacier.

Salisbury Plain 

We had difficulty landing the zodiacs because there were so many Penguins in the sea and at the landing point.  We walked along the shore to a very large penguin colony. 


King Penguins asleep

Penguin carcass 

Penguins in the river 

The King Penguin colony - all the way up the hill

Giant Petrel flying over the Penguin chicks

Paul photographing Penguins 

King Penguin

King Penguin

Multi coloured fur seal

Seal paw

Black browed Albatross

Sea of Penguins

Slapping ritual 

More slapping

Seal pup feeding

Giant Petrel feeding on Seal in the lake.



Penguin behaviour

Penguins crossing the stream


Penguins in the sea and at landing point 
While zodiac approaches


Pushing zodiac out into a sea of penguins

During lunch we noticed the National Geographic Ship Resolution, following us out of the Bay of Isles.  We then had an announcement that we were going to be taking a badly injured person from this ship onto ours as we would reach the nearest hospital in the Falklands before the Resolution did.  This took about 90 mins so delayed our afternoon excursion.  The ships stopped at a more sheltered point and the patient was transferred to the Fram by zodiac. 

National Geographic Ship - Resolution 

We reached our afternoon excursion point of Elsehul at 5.30 but could not do the zodiac cruise due to very high winds and swell.  Instead the ship sailed very slowly along the coastline and we saw Macaroni Penguin colonies in the distance. We then sailed around Bird Island at the north of South Georgia where we saw Wandering Albatross and Macaroni Penguins swimming as well as countless other birds some if which I have not yet identified

Elsehul
Bird Island

Wandering Albatross 

? Albatross 

Wandering Albatross 

Antarctic Prions

? Albatross 

? Albatross 

Macaroni Penguin 

Macaroni Penguin 

Macaroni Penguins 

?

Antarctic Prion

?

We sailed away from South Georgia towards the Falkland Islands.  The seas soon became very rough and we were informed at dinner that this would be the case for at least the next 36 hours.  Paul started to feel unwell during dinner so went back to the cabin to lay down.


Comments

  1. JustSteph19 February 2022 at 00:10

    So many penguins!! Good job they moved for the zodiac's return otherwise you'd have been stuck there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jean Dalby19 February 2022 at 13:52

      I can think of worse places to be stuck. Actually before us tourists are allowed to land, the expedition crew go over and take a large set of emergency kit which is left at the landing site until we are all back on the ship. This includes tents, food, water and clothing in case the weather changes so much (or the penguins get in our way) that they cannot get us back from the landing site to the ship

      Delete
  2. splottdad19 February 2022 at 06:06

    Fabulous photos, Jean. I have empathy with the King Penguins sleeping stance; I often fall asleep on the sofa with that neck position!! Amazed I haven't broken it yet!! You are having the holiday of a lifetime, my friend, and I am glad I can share just a peek or two. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jean Dalby19 February 2022 at 13:47

      Thanks Paul, yes the Kings do have very flexible necks and can turn them in any direction. They are incredibly curious birds and will come right up to us, although we are supposed to move away.

      Delete
  3. Viki20 February 2022 at 00:48

    I like the Penguin’s ‘Slapping ritual’ I might try that at home with Josh 😂

    ReplyDelete

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