It’s been a while but I thought it was about time that I wrote a blog about a typical day as a Naturalist on board the National Geographic Explorer. And what better location to do so than from Salibury Plain. The second largest king penguin colony on the island, Salisbury Plain lies within the Bay Of Isles towards the North of South Georgia.
After a blustery night anchored in the Bay of Isles, guests awoke expecting poor conditions but were pleasantly surprised to see flat seas and a fresh coat of snow covering the bay. Just five days previously, when we were last in the bay, there was barely any snow on the near mountains.
Not a bad sight to wake up to. First light uncovered a snow-coated Salisbury Plain. At dawn, King Penguins already spanned from the shore all the way up the hillside. As the day progressed waves of adults joined the colony from the Southern Ocean.View of the ship from the landingThousands of King Penguins covering Salisbury Plain
Its been a hard year for these King Penguin chicks, after the eggs were laid a year ago they have been stuck on this beach through the harsh South Georgia winter. Some of the chicks will have gone months between feeds shrinking up to 50% in weight during these periods.
All four seasons were experienced throughout the landing with brief spells of snow followed by beautiful sunshine.Warming up after the snowEarly travellers thought that these woolly penguins AKA Oakum Boys, were a completely different species than the adults
The landing did not disappoint, a natural path through the colony allowed guests to get their best views of the “Oakum Boys” yet. Despite the cold temperatures, the light was stunning and guests used every second on shore to get their shots.
Adult leading its chick through the snow in search of shelterThe snow got worse before it got betterChicks were left covered in snow when the sun came out againCovered in snowBracing from the snowSun shining on the colony within a few minutes of a blizzard
The cold was obviously too much for this penguin who couldn’t stop sneezing!
Creching for shelterChicks without parents huddled together in order keep warm
By this stage of the breeding season, the weakest chicks will have perished, so those remaining all looked in good health. After more than a year of development these chicks will soon loose this downy coat in favour of their waterproof juvenile coat.
The majority of the chicks on the colony to have made it this far were looking in good condition and will soon be melting into their juvenile coatFat and ready to moultBasking in the brief moment of sunshineAs the snow came down again and the feeling in my hands finally disappeared completely, we headed back to the ship
After a long but spectacular morning on the colony we headed back to the ship for hot drinks and tasty food, a luxury which the British Antarctic Survey never provided!
View of the colony from the warmth of the shipAlbatross over the ocean as we navigated out of the Bay Of Isles around the stunning South Georgia coastline
The island is home to millions of birds including ten of thousands of Black Browed Albatross which thrive in these windy conditions.
Black Browed Albatross soaring close to the ocean in a localised patch of calm
Technically I have left South Georgia but I am aware that I haven’t posted many blogs over the past few very busy weeks. So I will catch you up on my activities with a few blogs! The beginning of spring brings a series of fresh faced new British Antarctic Survey recruits eager to takeover from the old guard and ready to learn their new job.
First on the long list of Kierans (the new me) new responsibilities was the Giant Petrels. Fortunate for us, these prehistoric birds have the a habit of nesting in areas of especially spectacular backdrops!
Where ever there are Giant Petrels there are glaciers not too far away so its often harder to take pictures without glaciers in the background.
There are colonies of Northern Petrels at Maiviken, Zenker Ridge and the Greene which nest approximately six weeks ahead of the Southerns which nest at Harpon and on the Greene.
The latest trip was to check up on the Southerns which should have all laid by now. The Northerns, are starting to lay and will have chicks by now.
Both sexes are very similar in appearance. However females tend to be smaller in size.
In the last three days I have seen four more leopard seals, taken the RIB south to St Andrews Bay (where we watched a leopard seal tear apart a king penguin) and spent the night at Maiviken, where we watched at least 1000 Gentoo Penguins returning to South Georgia for the night …. Life is hard!
The beginning …. lep 1Sleepy leopard seal in front of base
With news of a second lep sighting at Grytviken coming in the final minutes of light of the day, I set my alarm early and made my way over for first light hoping she hadn’t slugged off in the night in order to get more pictures for the rapidly growing leopard seal database.
Thankfully my efforts were not in vain!
It was initially to dark for good record shots but it soon brightened upLep two in front of South Georgia Museum and Mount Hodges at Grytviken
I quickly headed back to base to complete my morning rounds and get ready for a day of boating – but not before taking a quick shot of the Pharos alongside before a patrol.
Pharos alongside at King Edward Point
Next on the agenda was kitting up the boats and getting away, with St Andrews our next destination in order to re-supply the huts with food and medical gear. Unfortunately, the visit had to be very quick but, as regular readers will know, on South Georgia, a lot can happen in a short amount of time!
King Penguin fresh from the sea at St Andrews
Upon landing we were greeted by a cloud of hungry Giant Petrels who are resident around the King Penguins. I caught a flash of yellow disappearing towards the sea and was able to get a couple of record shots of a yellow Darvic on the leg of a giant petrel, most probably from Bird Island.
Yellow Darvic on the leg of a Giant Petrel
Time didn’t allow me to reach the main King Penguin colony and check up on the chicks but there were a few Kings on the beach near where we landed, along with St Andrews latest occupants … Elephant Seals.
Soon the beaches will be covered in these monsters, battling for haremsTrying to get some kip before the fighting beginsElephant seal eating the jetboat!
As we lifted the anchor, a very inquisitive leopard seal came to check us out. Unfortunately, my hands were full of anchor so no pictures were possible before it got bored of us and headed off. As we headed back to sea with Hound Bay our next destination, I clocked a congregation of Cape Petrels in the distance and headed towards it. Being in contact with our colleagues at Bird Island, I hear tales of leopard seal attacks and had subsequently added observing a kill, hopefully, to my bucket list.
View through a wave
As we approached, all that was clear was that something was being thrown around in the water by a dark shadow.
Swallowing some fleshA mouthful of king penguin
Unfortunately, the poor light and swell were enough to make focusing on the action very difficult, so the pictures aren’t much more than record shots but it was an incredible spectacle.
The leopard seal shook the meat from the penguin
Leopard seal and a king penguinYoung Kelp gull bravely stealing some scraps with the leopard seal lurking below
Due to a thick band of incoming fog, we couldn’t stay with the kill for long and were soon on our way north again to Hound Bay, where we were greeted by yet another leopard seal trying to hide itself amongst all the elephant seals.
Hound Bay Leopard Seal
We did get one last look at the South Georgia landscape before we were engulfed by fog for the duration of our trip back to Maiviken, where we were dropped off for the night.
Paget Mountain towering above Hound Bay
Gentoo Penguins opt to return to the South Georgian shores every evening to roost, unlike other SG Penguins, even outside the breeding season. As we sat on the shore waiting for the sun to set, sipping mulled wine, we had hoped to see good numbers of Gentoos but we didn’t expect quite as many as we got!
Waves and waves of up to 50 Gentoos returned until over 1000 had passed us on the beach
For the first time this year, the Gentoos were observed making their way up past their usual roost site all the way up to their breeding colony, suggesting that we may well have an early breeding season this year.
Gentoos piling onto the beach
Whilst the majority of the gentoos opted for the large open section of Tortula Beach, not all picked the same route
Making their way through the rocky shoreNot all pick the easiest beaches to land on
With last year being a spectacular breeding failure for the Gentoos, we are hoping for a more fruitful season this year.
South Georgia is absolutely incredible for rich and diverse wildlife, this is something we all know. What makes it that little bit more special than other places of this nature is the breathtaking scenery all around you wherever you go. With wildlife sightings currently at their lowest around base, I took a bit of time to photograph the landscapes.
Sunset in Cumberland Bay
Almost as spectacular as the landscape are the skies now that the days are getting lighter again: sunset and sunrise are falling perfectly in time with the beginning and end of work. We have also been witness to some amazing lenticular cloud formations in recent weeks.
Lenticular clouds at sunset over King Edward Point Research Station
Even with wildlife sightings down around base, I am still making the weekly trips to Maiviken to see the few lingering Antarctic Fur Seals. Its very rare that I make the commute and don’t get my camera out, even if only my phone (like the two below). I must have a thousand pictures of my route by now, but it’s not one I ever want to forget!
Phone shot of the commute back from work
Our numbers have recently dropped with the loss of our lead boatman, who has headed back to the equally as spectacular Essex. His loss means that there is a much greater demand for the rest of us to take out the boats.
‘Three Brothers mountains behind the Neumayer glacier
An out of character spell of calm weather has allowed me to rack up some hours of training in recent weeks on board the Jet boats. I have been training at night time navigation – during the day! Our boating officer, Russ, used a very high tech training methodology of putting cardboard on all the windows and making me navigate only using the GPS equipment. When I eventually stepped outside, the day and the view was pretty stunning (see above).
Big old chunk of blue ice
We have also had lots of time training with our Fisheries Patrol vessel, practicing ‘at sea transfers’.
Coming alongside the fisheries patrol vessel in the jetboat
Finally, myself and another team member, took the short commute across to Grytviken, for a night away from base. The weather was too good to stay indoors so we headed out with a flask of mulled wine and watched the almost full moon rise over Mount Duse and the derelict remains of Grytviken whaling station.
Camping trip to GrytvikenMoon Rising over the old Whaling ship ‘DiazPetrel Whaling Ship in the moonlight
After a bitterly cold night, we were woken by a nosy neighbour at the front door, trying to get in to steal our warmth. A snowy sheathbill was wading through the snow in order to check if we had left any scraps. Unfortunately, we disappointed!
Snowy Sheathbill in front of our tent in the morningSnowy Sheathbill in the snow
My latest South Georgian adventure involved a cruise up the coast on board our Fisheries Patrol Vessel to the Bay of Isles. More specifically to Prion Island, in order to see its feathery inhabitants.
Wanderer chick and my big red taxi
Prion Island is home to a small population of the world’s largest seabird, the Wandering Albatross. With a spectacular wingspan of 3.7 metres, a large adult wanderer is roughly the same length as a small car.
Stretching its wings
Approximately 30 wanderers return to Prion Island every year in December. They lay a single egg each which will eventually hatch and be cared for by both parents over the year, before hopefully fledging. Because of the large investment needed to fledge a wandering albatross chick, parents breed monogamously, every two years. This means that the breeding population of the island is roughly 60 pairs.
Stunning wandering albatross chick on prion island
My job, this visit, was simply to check up on the downy chicks as well as record a number of parameters, such as snow cover and fur seal disturbance, which may effect the success of these giants.
Wandering Albatross Family Portrait
By the time chicks are this developed, both parents can leave the chick in order to forage so I was incredibly fortunate to see a number of adult birds on the colony..
Pair of monogamous adults renewing their vows
Albatross species forage at sea and are often caught accidentally by long lining fishermen around the world. South Georgia has one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, with vessels forced to use particular preventative practices that reduce the risk of bycatch of seabirds (seabird bycatch was 0 in 2015). However, as a result of their spectacular size and effortless flying abilities, Wandering Albatross forage for thousands of miles, meaning birds breeding on the islands will be affected by less well managed fisheries across the Southern Ocean. Sadly, as a result of this and also consuming plastic waste, Wandering Albatross populations are falling and they are considered to be vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN.
Chick begging for foodStill begging!
Once chicks fledge at the end of the year, they will roam the southern oceans in search of cephalopods (squid), crustacean (krill) and small fish until they are old enough to breed, covering up to 120,000 km in a year.
Dinner time for the chick
The island is also home to breeding Giant Petrels and Gentoo penguins. With this year’s Giant Petrel fledglings still covering the island, next year’s breeders had already arrived and were already courting and building nests.
Pair of courting Giant PetrelsGiant petrel getting in the way of my Wandering Albatross picture
Gentoo penguins tend to return to their colonies every evening to roost rather than remaining at sea. As we awaited a pick up on the beach, I was able to put my GoPro in the water and get a glimpse of them in their more natural habitat.
Gentoo penguins
Before rats were successfully eradicated from South Georgia, islands provided the only safe haven for South Georgian Pipits. These small areas of refuge allowed populations to survive allowing recolonisation of the mainland, post rats
A very tired me, clambering down towards Penguin River from Brown Mountain
Just a quick blog to say thank you to everyone who sponsored me to run the South Georgia Mountain Half Marathon for The World Wildlife Foundation. We set off a few days early because of a break in the bad weather, so if you haven’t donated yet, it’s still not too late to do so! (please click here).
Simon and Tim against the stunning South Georgia landcape
All your donations and kind words definitely helped me break through the pain barrier and complete the course in a time of 2 hours 6 mins and 42 seconds. If you need convincing, then hopefully these amazing images, taken by Matthew Phillips, of the course and the run, will persuade you that it wasn’t just a walk in the park for me!
Me trying to navigate through the scree and rock covered slopesEventual winners, Simon and Tim, making the steep descent to the flats
As you can see, the course is anything but simple. Whilst scrambling up Brown Mountain on my hands and knees, I cursed every single one of you who donated or wished me luck, because you made it impossible for me to quit! Although my knees and muscles may not agree yet, I’m delighted that I persisted and that I’ve been able to make this contribution to such a great cause.
Me coming down from Deadman’s PassMore pain and more scree slopes – if you haven’t done so yet, please please please donate!
There are a few broken athletes walking around base today but it was worth it. The sauna and and the cold South Georgian Seas (1’C) – Nature’s own Nurofen – definitely helped numb the pain temporarily!
Myself and Tim, waiting for the last athletes and planning an afternoon dip and sauna
The race itself passed without incident or injury, thankfully. However, I did get lost at one point and was aggrieved to reach the finish line and find out that I’d run 0.8 km further than the rest of the field!
On my way down Bore Valley in to the home straight
Thank you again to all of you for your generosity and to Matthew Phillips for his incredible images from a day that I’m not likely to forget for a long time.
After covering a lot of distance in our first 24 hours, we decided to spend a day close to the hut within Coral Bay and the adjacent Sandebugten. Relaxing at South Georgia is almost impossible. There are so many opportunities and things to do here, you feel guilty doing nothing. I fought the urge to get up early, however, and managed to resist the wildlife until heading out at 07.30. First stop as per usual on the Barff were the Light Mantled Sooty Albatross again, since all the nesting attempts on my peninsula had failed before I even arrived.
Head shot of a Light Mantled Sooty Albatross
I spent a long time sitting along the cliff top with a pair of displaying birds just metres away. The light was perfect and so I was able to get an image literally of a birds eye view of Coral Bay.
Pair of displaying Light Mantled Sooty AlbatrossBirds Eye View of Coral Bay
I could have spent the day sitting with these majestic animals. However, I wanted to get down and do some filming of the seals. I was doing exactly that soon enough, seated above a plunge pool, observing the Antarctic fur seal pups fighting and learning to swim. As these guys get older and bolder, their personalities seem to grow. It is impossible to spend time with the pups without smiling! Even if they are trying to chase you and maul your legs!
Antarctic Fur Seal pup guarding the waterfall
Having had my fill of the feisty Fur Seals, I weaved my way back amongst them and the putrid smelling Elephant Seals to the hut for a brew and a bacon butty!
One of the hundreds of Elephant Seals at Coral – completely unaware of how bad they smell!
In need of a stretch of legs, I decided to clamber along the coastline to the next bay, where I was surprised with incredible views of the Nordenskjold glacier.
View of the Nordenskjold from the Barff Peninsula
Completely taken aback by the view, it took me some time to notice the yapping noise coming from my feet where a Giant Petrel chick was laying. I have spent loads of time working with these birds but not long enough properly watching them, so with time on my hands, I made myself comfortable. It wasn’t long before an adult bird was landing on the cliff and slowly making its way towards the chick.
Giant Petrel chick and parent on the Barff
Both birds started to display at each other, making me think that possibly the adult had got the wrong nest. The adult bird continued making its way towards the chick before making a noise I had never heard before, apparently aiding the regurgitation of the chick’s next meal. It wasn’t long before the chick was happily tucking in. This behaviour alone was an absolute privilege to observe. When you add the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Nordenskjold to the picture, it’s easy to see why South Georgia is on so many bucket lists!
Giant petrels and the Nordenskjold Glacier
Southern Giant Petrel adult feeding its chick in front of the Nordenskjold
