Log Entry No5 - 13th Mar 08. (Discoverer)

FROM THE CREWS QUARTERS

THE NATIVES OF SOUTH GEORGIA

Our expedition to South Georgia has been a great success which we shall always remember. The Island has a number of fascinating historical sites chronicling the days of whaling, but just as important is its unspoiled coastline and wildlife.

The most common, yet still a major attraction, is the Southern Elephant Seal (mirounga leonina) which is the largest seal on the island. These seals can be quite vicious through the period of November to January; the seals are very agile and graceful under water and can out run most predators. There were a few rare sightings of albino elephant seals in some destinations on the island.

From the minute we arrived at South Georgia we were greeted by fur seals, these are about 3 feet long and about a foot wide with a population of about 3 million. We have seen these in many of the different bays and whaling stations doted around the Island such as Grytviken, Husvik, Stromness and Ocean harbour.

On one of our land based journeys, we spotted a group of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) which was fantastic, as many of the group had never seen a reindeer before, and thus an ideal time for us to get some quality photo shots in. We have also seen many penguins on our travels, these include the northern gentoo penguin, the king penguin, the emperor penguin, the macaroni penguin and the chinstrap penguin. These little fella’s can be so friendly if approached carefully!

The wandering albatross is a very large bird, and at full growth can reach a wing span of 11.5 feet and a total weight of 25lbs. On our last night on the Island we anchored at Elsahul harbour and saw the largest flock of albatrosses seen on our entire journey; a fitting end to a fantastic wildlife and geological experience.

During our journey towards South Georgia we were astounded by the number of dolphins playing around the boat, but unfortunately this was short lived, with fewer seen once we arrived at the Island.

Gary Laidlaw (Infanteer)
Michael Casey (Army Air Corps)
Zac Robbens (Royal Logistics Corps)