Guided shore landings and visits continue as weather, sea and land conditions permit. Among the sites we might explore today are:
St. Andrews Bay
The surf beaten coastline at St. Andrews Bay runs north-south in a nearly 2-mile long sweep of fine dark sand, covered in penguins and seals and bounded in the interior by the Cook, Buxton and Heaney Glaciers. The bay hosts the largest colony of King Penguins on South Georgia. At this time of year, the beach is often crowded with fur and elephant seals. Such a large assemblage of wildlife attracts an entourage of persistent and voracious scavengers. Sheathbills dart in and around the penguin colony and Cape Petrels nest on the cliffs north of St. Andrews Bay. Leopard seals patrol the rocks at this end of the beach too, hunting penguins along the edge of kelp beds. A few White-chinned Petrels and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross nest on the tussock slopes. Brown Skuas and Antarctic Terns breed on the outwash plain and scree slopes at the north end of the beach, defending their nest sites with their characteristic noise and vigor.
Drygalski Fjord
The 9-mile long Drygalski Fjord offers spectacular scenery. Although Drygalski Fjord’s glaciers have retreated over the recent decades, they remain one of the most striking features of this coastline, particularly the Risting and Jenkins Glaciers. This is also one of the principal breeding areas for Snow Petrels in South Georgia. The birds nest on the cliff buttresses and mountain ridges along the shores and mix with Cape Petrels on the lower ledges. Both species can be seen flying along the cliffs as they come and go from their nest sites. Blue-eyed Shags, Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Antarctic Terns are also a common sight as they feed in the plankton-rich upwellings in front of the glaciers.
Meals B+L+D