(Elsehul Bay) After getting up at 4:45 we waited for an hour before the
staff decided the early morning zodiac tour was unsafe due to rough sea
conditions. Although we were anchored in a bay the seas were 6-9 feet at the stern
where the
zodiacs are loaded and unloaded. The land is very stark and fresh snow is
present.
(Salisbury Plain) The weather
cooperated after the first area and we were treated to some incredible sights.
The first place was called Salisbury Plain and had about a billion penguins on
it. It was a long beach and flat area beyond the beach with some hills leading
up to the mountains. It was exclusively a King penguin colony which are also
the largest species here. There were also elephant and fur seals and an assortment
of other birds (mostly scavengers).
(Prion Island) We were on the beach at Salisbury Plain about four hours and then
returned to the ship for a short hop to an island where we would observe
Wandering Albatross nests. It is a protected island where we needed a permit
to land on it. There was a boardwalk on it that was put there to protect the
plants and nests that were in burrows under the surface. We saw what we wanted
to see plus more seals and some Adele penguins that made their home there. This
island was unique in that it was classified as "rat" free meaning that the rodents
that made their way to the main island via sailing ships had not come to this
island. Certain species of birds are only found in those "rat" free
places.
We are now
anchored in Fortuna Bay that we will explore tomorrow morning. There is also a four
mile hike that retraces some of Shackleton's route when he returned to South
Georgia to get help so that he could rescue his men. Based on the description
of the hike I don't think they want people like me or Marty so we opted out.
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