LATEST IMAGES - SOUTH GEORGIA7
Every visit to South Georgia has to include a landing at Grytviken, the biggest old whaling station, to pay the landing fees and have a look round the museum and obligatory shop. It is a fascinating if depressing place when you consider the slaughter that want on there. Rats have greatly reduced the ground nesting birds on South Georgia and there is an ambitious plan to eradicate them from all of South Georgia. The first phase was successfully completed in 2011 and the remainder of the island should be cleared in 2013-2014. We noticed the increase in the number of South Georgia Pintail since our last visit which hopefully is a consequence of the rat eradication. Reindeer were brought to South Georgia by the whalers for sport and for food and are not native. We believe they are soon to be removed from South Georgia but it was nice to see them. On our last landing at Elsahull we did get up to a nesting area of the Light Mantled Sooty Albatross. It was a difficult hike over frozen streams and through very slippery tussock grass but it was well worth the effort to see these graceful birds flying within a few feet.
HELEN AT GRYTVIKEN SOUTH GEORGIA
ELEPHANT SEAL AND WHALING BOAT GRYTVIKEN
SOUTH GEORGIA PINTAIL
REINDEER SOUTH GEORGIA
LIGHT MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS
LIGHT MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS IN FLIGHT
LIGHT MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS IN FLIGHT1