Antarctica to Zimbabwe – Day 44 – Silver Wind, South Georgia

We are due to depart around 9:30 am today. There are no restrictions on the numbers that can land at Grytviken, so our late departure is instead driven by the hours kept by the UK government officials who run South Georgia. They are undoubtedly dedicated and hardworking, but passenger convenience is understandably not their top priority.

Our usual routine goes to plan. I’m not sure it merits mentioning anymore, and we are in the heart of an immensely fast-paced South Georgia odyssey. So please forgive me for cutting corners.

We land around 9:45 am, and raise a toast to the boss:

No Macallan this time around, sadly. Last time it was the anniversary of Shackleton’s funeral which prompted the Silver Wind to go all-out – Captain Sasha joined us at the landing site and there were multiple spirits on offer. This time it’s solely Jameson, which is still very good.

We feel less rushed this time around, and I take the time to sit with Frank Wild’s gravestone for a spell.

Sad to think that it took until 2011 before Wild was interred here, but I’m grateful to everyone who made that happen. Frank Wild had a tough job, and deserves as much recognition as he can get.

Off across the station in the hopes that we’ll be able to join the expedition team for a hike into the hillside around Grytviken. As far as the team can remember, this is the first time they’ve offered such a hike and we don’t want to miss out.

But I can’t resist stopping for a few photos along the way:

Even Grytviken has grumpy neighbours

And who can resist a tussac pillow?

The rusting whaling machinery sits in stark contrast to the beautiful natural surroundings.

Good riddance – may it eventually vanish with the passage of time.

I speed through the station in the hope of reaching the church in time for the hike into the hills. And I make it – barely! We soon discover an entirely new vista:

Have I mentioned that it’s absolutely stunning today? It’s even warmer than it was 18 days earlier. The jackets have come off, and my wife, kids and I are all wandering around in T-shirts.

We soon reach the top of the hillside, and the views are remarkable:

But it’s not long before we make our way back down the hill again so we can explore the station.

We take in the museum again briefly and revisit the giftshop. I’ve written about those extensively but I will again repeat that they’re well worth the stop.

One particular highlight was when Jamie came by to show us parts of the world’s largest giant squid – so the world’s largest invertibrate ever – which he helped acquire. Further evidence as to the exceptional guides here on the Wind.

Time to head back to the Wind, which means braving the fur seals:

I’m joking, of course, but these adorable little rapscallions do seem notably more aggressive than they did our first go around. One of the passengers is bitten during the excursion.

Reminders are issued to keep an eye out, make yourself look big, and try to intimidate them into retreating when possible.

One last glimpse at Grytviken:

Then back on a zodiac bound for the Wind.

Back in time for trivia, which we won today. My son solved the following riddle:

Spelled forward, I’m something you do every day. Spelled backward, I’m something you hate.

The answer is live / evil.

We were also knew both of Canada’s official languages (French and English) and how many metres in a kilometer (1,000).

Lunch at the Grill today, which gave us a terrific view of the scenery as we sailed away:

Then it was time for me to get ready for kayaking!

But how to dress for the weather? On one hand, it’s South Georgia – which is renowned for being cold, wet and windy. I was also quite cold when I kayaked in Antarctica. On the other hand, it’s an absolutely stunning day and I don’t want to overheat.

So I settle for wearing the exact same clothes as I did during my first outing – long underwear, hiking pants, a merino long-sleeved shirt, a merino sweatshirt, a buff and a wool cap. No puffer jacket, which I had been debating. We’ll see how it goes!

And the short answer: beautifully. I was actually too warm, but occasionally soaking my hands (and gloves) in the frigid waters did wonders to cool me down.

The water was so unbelievably calm, it was like glass. Kayak leader Scott said he’d never seen a finer day for kayaking in South Georgia. Not only is it rare to kayak but you would typically get flat, or sunny, or warm – not all of the above.

We didn’t go into Jason Harbour but instead went around the corner to get a glimpse of Mount Paget and check out some of the glaciers.

Getting closer…

It was an absolutely spectacular kayak. We had some wildlife come by – petrels and fur seals – and I had my GoPro on, so I’m hoping to pull some video soon. (Likely during a sea day!)

Meanwhile, my wife and kids had gone off for a combination zodiac cruise and landing at Jason Harbour. This again goes to show the benefit of travelling with fewer than 200 guests – in our original trip this was offered a zodiac-cruise-only excursion:

This hut was initially used to deliver mail – it now remains as an emergency shelter, and has been used several times in the past few years

Watch where you step! Plenty of fur seals about, and they are itching for trouble

But how can you be mad at them when they look so cute?

And the scenery is no less stunning from the landing zone!

Back to the Wind, and then off for the briefing and recaps. Jamie is running a bit behind so we do this in reverse order.

First up is Kevin, who talks about the capture of South Georgia by the Argentinians at the onset of the Falklands war.

Next up is Frederik, who delves into the daily life of the whalers of Gritviken:

Then Alex provides us with the history of South Georgia in six minutes or less:

I didn’t time her, but I think she came pretty close!

Jamie then delivers the briefing for tomorrow – we will be visiting Fortuna Bay tomorrow followed by a trip to – Stromness! The expedition team is also planning a hike to Shackleton’s waterfall, which will allow us to retrace the final stretch of his desperate trip to the Stromness whaling station.

I don’t want to get my hopes up – but suffice it to say that I never expected to get the chance to do anything of this magnitude while here in South Georgia.

Off to dinner at the Restaurant –