This morning is a 5am start for those who want to catch the sunrise at Gold Harbour, one of the most photogenic spots in South Georgia. The sun rise from the east strikes the Bertrab Glacier, which overhangs the beach littered with elephant seals and the colony of king penguins. Sunrise is a 6.36am, and the clear sky makes it a more muted sunrise than hoped for, but the temperature of 5 degrees Celsius with no wind makes up for it. A small group makes the climb up through the tussock for a closer look at the nesting light-mantled sooty albatrosses, and the most spectacular view down over the beach and the penguin colony.
After 6 hours in this spectacular location, we head towards Royal Bay, where it is hoped the conditions will be calm enough for some afternoon sea kayaking.
The first group of kayakers gets away from the National Geographic Explorer okay, but the second group is promptly cancelled when the wind from the glacial valley suddenly picks up, necessitating a tow back to the ship by zodiac for those kayakers who had been able to launch before the wind changed. This necessitated a change of plans, and a more relaxing afternoon was had on the beach observing the elephant seals, and the clean-up crew of southern giant petrels, who were disposing of the remains of an unfortunate elephant seal pup. The ecosystem is finely balanced, with seal pups and penguin chicks who die from starvation, loss of parent, or an in the case of the elephant seals, having a 4 tonne bull elephant not notice that you’re underfoot, promptly made a meal of by the skuas and giant petrels. Whilst dead pups and chicks are sometimes encountered, the clean up crew is pretty efficient at their job, and it is easy to think that the mortality rates in the harems and colonies are lower than they actually are. Elephant seals in particular are relatively poor parents compared to Antarctic Fur Seals, abandoning their pups to fend for themselves after three weeks, in comparison to the fur seals who protect their young for up to six months.
At the end of the beach, an elephant seal with a transmitter on its head is found, and makes a comical sight with two waving antenna!
