Shag Rocks

Today the wind has dropped and it is a clear, fine day on the South Atlantic Ocean on the National Geographic Explorer. In a day that concentrates on steaming towards South Georgia Island from the Falklands as quickly as possible, the highlight is Shag Rocks, an outcrop in the middle of nowhere, home to blue-eyed shags and the occasional albatross and resting penguins.

Part of the South Georgia Ridge, it is the first sign that we only have another 240km to sail to reach South Georgia Island itself.

Shag Rocks are often surrounded by cloud and mist and barely visible, but today the weather gods are smiling and visibility is excellent. Blue sky and relatively calm seas provides excellent viewing of the rocks, and the shags that nest on them.  Lisa Trotter, the undersea specialist, decides to go for a first of a kind dive in the waters near the rocks, and much of the interest for the passengers on board is watching the progress of the zodiacs back and forth, and trying to capture that elusive close-up of the royal albatrosses in the area.

An inquisitive blue-eyed shag flies overhead to check whether the ship is a new, interesting, nesting site.