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20.02.2016: Day 8 - Stromness Bay and Grytviken (South Georgia)
We were woken up 5 minutes early at 6-40am to tell us that there won't be a landing at Fortuna Bay because there's too much fog with 30 knot winds and the barometer is dropping, i.e. the wind is picking up. So we set sail for Stromness Bay as soon as the announcement had been made and went for breakfast.
Stromness Bay was protected from the wind and a lot calmer so we could make a landing. Just before 9am we got into the zodiacs in the rain. Ali lead the group up to Shackleton's waterfall so we could do the last part of his epic walk to get help. Back in 1916 it had taken him and 5 of his men 36 hours to walk across South Georgia looking for the whaling station in Stromness where they could get help to the 22 men stranded on Elephant Island.
It was May when they did the walk and they slid down the frozen waterfall which was our destination that day. Since then there have been several attempts to complete the walk in the time it took Shackleton and no one has ever managed it!
We walked the 2km to the waterfall in the rain and then stayed at the waterfall for about 15 minutes. Kirsten decided she wanted to go back straight away so that she could take photos of the fur seals who had greeted us on the beach.
I stayed with the group and we took a different route back over a small hill. We passed some broken egg shells that looked like penguin eggs. One was in two halves and looked recently cracked. Just around the corner we found the culprit - a skua feeding on the unborn chick.
On the top of the hill we got a view over the abandoned whaling station and cemetery and made our way down to the beach where there was a blond fur seal - it's not an albino but was just born without the pigment gene.
Day 8: Landing at Stromness Bay (South Georgia)
Back on board we hung our wet waterproofs up in the bathroom along with our supposedly waterproof gloves that we bought in Ushuaia for this trip. Waste of money! They weren't waterproof at all and our hands were not only wet but very cold!
I chatted to Faith who told me that the divers had had fun with the fur seals in the water. They have heated dry suits as the water is so cold and I asked how the divers communicate with the zodiac drivers on the surface - they rev the engine several times when it's time to come up.
The more I learn from the divers, the more I realise how technical the whole thing is - buoyancy, weights, ascending times and pausing because of nitrogen build up and the bends, re-breathers, the list goes on and on. Their camera equipment alone looks extremely heavy to say nothing of the oxygen tanks but they all seem to be having a good time. As I keep telling them - I don't even like cold showers so getting into the sea voluntarily is just not my kind of thing. I'll stick to walking!
Lunch was pea and ham soup (traditionally served every Saturday), goulash with vegetables and mashed potatoes with various salads at the salad bar. As we got back into the open ocean to head further south the swell got a lot higher. There was still a lot of fog and mist but as we headed to Grytviken the sun came out and we could see a lot of icebergs in the bay.
The whaling station here operated from 1904 to 1966 and all the abandoned buildings have been cleared of asbestos and other dangerous materials in use during the era which means we can visit them. Before that however, Jim and the captain have to prove that they have complied with all the IAATO regulations for South Georgia and the Antarctic before we are allowed to land. A representative from the South Georgia Heritage Trust came on board to give us a talk about a massive rat infestation project they have been carrying out.
The rats were brought here by various ships inadvertently but have had a devastating affect on the wildlife. South Georgia pipits that are indigenous to the islands almost disappeared. The problem was that all the rats needed to be exterminated without causing any further damage to the flora and fauna and it has never been attempted over such a wide area anywhere else in the world.
The project cost over $10 million and they still need $110,000 to complete it. They are now waiting to see if the project has been a success but the pipits have already returned which is a very good sign.
At 4pm we queue up to get into the zodiacs and an official checks our boots to make sure they are clean before we get off the ship. Our passports have already been taken so they can be stamped.
Our first stop on land is Shackleton's grave where a toast of whisky is drunk in his honour. Then we can either go on a group tour or we can roam around on our own. We chose the latter of course and went off to take photos of the ever present penguins, fur seals and elephant seals that are our constant companions on this trip.
We also went to the museum where anyone who doesn't know the Shackleton story can read about it. We were more interested in taking some photos underneath a large wandering albatross on display hanging from the ceiling. It certainly shows just how big a wingspan of 3.6m really is! (I was the lesser spotted blue duck, an endangered species!!)
There was a massive queue at the post office where everyone was trying to send off their postcards - it will take 6 to 8 weeks to get to the UK first and then to other destinations from there. We went off to the local church and rang the bells - nothing like Big Ben of course!
Day 8: Landing at Grytviken (South Georgia)
Tonight was barbecue and disco night! It was held out on the open deck but most people decided to sit inside the restaurant to eat - it was still raining outside. There was chicken, spare ribs, not very nice sausages but great baked potatoes and salad. There was a huge amount of desserts afterwards - gateau, tiramisu, strawberry cake.
We even got coloured disco lights but the music was all the wrong era for me - from the 1950s and 1960s. Apparently I'd missed the good stuff when I was inside eating my desserts! We still went out dancing though and had a good time despite the choice of music. At least a lot of the crew were having a good time - even the girls from the laundry were letting their hair down.
By 11pm the disco was shut down because the anchor was being pulled up and we were setting sail. Even when the water is calm the ship will rock so it's not a good idea to have everyone dancing out on deck!
Time to get back to our cabin and write the diary. It was after midnight before we got to bed.
