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South Georgia
Overseas
dependency of the UK also claimed by Argentina
Location
- 1290 km (800miles) south east of the Falkland Islands in the South
Atlantic Ocean, part of the "Scotia Arc"
Territory
- 3755sq.km. total
Capital
- Small settlement at Grytviken
Population
- Permanently manned British Antarctic Survey base of up to 18 people
Highest Point
- Mt. Paget 2934m (9535ft)
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South Sandwich Islands
Overseas dependency of
the UK also claimed by Argentina
Location -
750 km (470 miles) south east of South Georgia in the South
Atlantic Ocean, part of the "Scotia Arc"
Territory
- 337sq.km. total
Capital
- N/A
Population
- None.
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 South
Georgia and the South Sandwich are sub-Antarctic islands. They
are usually grouped together because they are governed together
as a British overseas dependency.
The South Sandwich Islands are
isolated and are not often visited other than by survey ships
on scientific excursions. The prevailing weather conditions
usually make the approach difficult, they rise very steeply
out of the sea and are subject to active volcanism.
South Georgia on the other
hand is one of the most visited locations in Antarctica.
It is spectacularly picturesque and is frequently described
as being "The Alps in the mid-ocean". Over half the island is
permanently glaciated, wildlife is abundant, approaches by sea
usually straightforward and it is steeped in the history of
Antarctic exploration and of Antarctic whalers and sealers.
The only access to South Georgia
or the South Sandwich Islands is by sea.
King Penguins in a Mating Ritual
March, South Georgia
Buy this print
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Southwards,
a magnificent Alpine country, illuminated by the rising
sun, rose slowly from the sea; there were mighty fells with
snowy crowns and with sharp, uncovered teeth, around the
valleys through which enormous, broad rivers of ice came
flowing to the sea.
J. Gunnar Andersson, 1902
King penguins in Gold Harbour South Georgia
Gigapan - panoramic
pictures made up of multiple images from a digital camera
stitched together, click the picture to pop-up a new window
and then explore the larger image. This picture used courtesy
of Ella Derbyshire.
Overlooking
Grytviken and King Edward Point, South Georgia
Photographic Print
Captain James Cook arrived at South
Georgia in 1775, in his report, he mentioned the large numbers of
elephant and fur seals. This soon came to the attention of the sealing
industry and so started what was to become a bloody period in the
history of South Georgia, but also the driving force for much of
the early exploration of Antarctica.
 Early
sealers were very secretive in order not to alert other competitive
sealing crews of the whereabouts or abundance of seals.
They even went as far on occasion
to "let slip" details of made-up islands in the hope that other
crews would waste their time looking for them (and on occasion it
worked) instead of working the known sealing grounds.
Records of early activities are therefore
rather scant, but it seems that sealers were certainly active on
South Georgia from 1786 onwards. The ship Aspasia, collected
57,000 fur seal skins in the 1800/1801 season alone. Sealing continued
unabated until eventually (but too late) attempts were made to limit
catches, the sealing industry had all but collapsed by 1830.
In 1916 only one single male fur
seal was seen on South Georgia, it was duly killed.
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| Grytviken and King
Edward Point |
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Grytviken and abandoned whaling station
Picture courtesy NOAA
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Whaling was the next industry to come
to South Georgia when a whaling station was established in what was to become
called Grytviken in King Edward Cove in 1904.
From then until the mid 1960's South Georgia
was one of the most important places in the world for the whaling industry.
Whaling stations were established in seven harbours on the island and thirteen
floating factory ships were also used during this time. The whaling stations
were abandoned in 1965 and never reopened. They now stand as derelict reminders
to the inglorious past. In recent years many of the buildings have collapsed
or become damaged to such an extent that they are now closed to all visitors.
Grytviken is the one place on South Georgia
still occupied today by the scientists and crew of the British Antarctic
Survey. The name Grytviken means 'Pot Cove' after the sealers trypots (used
for recovering the blubber from seals) which were discovered there. It is
the best harbour on the island, being a bay within a bay.
South Georgia has strong historical links
to the early days of Antarctic exploration. It was visited by Sir Ernest
Shackleton and his ship at the start of his attempt to be the first expedition
to cross the Antarctic continent from coast to coast. It was also the place
where he and four other crew members arrived a year and a half after their
ship had been sunk in the Antarctic pack ice in an attempt to rescue the
remainder of the crew, left on Elephant Island while Shackleton and his
party went for help.
Some tour operators offer the chance to follow
in Shackleton's footsteps to trek across South Georgia from King Haakon
Bay to Stromness over the towering peaks of the islands back-bone, though
with rather better modern resources!
Grytviken is today the home of a museum
to the history of the island and is also the final resting place of
Shackleton who died here onboard his ship Quest in King Edward Cove
on January 5 1922 en-route to Antarctica. The grave is an often visited
site for many passing ships.
Grytviken South Georgia March 4, 2008
Gigapan picture used courtesy
of Ella Derbyshire
As well as its fascinating history, and stunning
scenery, South Georgia has some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife
on earth.
Despite the historical massacre of numbers, more than
2 million southern fur seals - 95 percent of the world's population arrive
at South Georgia each summer. Half the world's population of southern elephant
seals also come here to breed.
Six penguin species can be found on South Georgia,
Macaronis, regal and impressive Kings, cheeky Gentoos and relatively rare
(here at least) Adelie, Chinstraps and Rockhoppers. The penguins that live
on the island number in the millions, sometimes totally covering entire
hillsides.
250 000 albatrosses of a variety of species return here
each year, including the bird that has the largest wingspan of all at 3m+,
the spectacular wandering albatross.
An estimated 10 million other seabirds such as
various petrels and prions that nest underground are are nocturnal in habit
to avoid predators.
Two native species only found on South Georgia are the
South Georgia pipit, the only songbird in Antarctica, and the South Georgia
pintail, the world's only known carnivorous duck.
King Penguins,
Gold Harbor, South Georgia Island
Photographic Print
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A Must Visit Place.........
South Georgia may not be Antarctica proper, but it is an absolutely
fantastic place, whether for the history, wildlife or the exhilaration
of being in such an unspoiled and spectacular environment.
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A chain of islands, connected by a low
submarine ledge, forming an island arc. They were discovered by Captain
James Cook, in HMS Resolution, who first sighted the southernmost
island later called Southern Thule on the 30th of January 1775. From North
to South, the islands are:
| Zavodovski Island
 A
single volcanic cone, approximately 14.5 km (9 miles) in circumference
and 550m (1780 ft) in height. Constantly erupting with hot smoke
issuing from the cone.
There are around a million breeding
pairs of chinstrap penguins on Zavodovski Island, making it
one of the world's largest penguin colonies.
Zavadovski island is an occasional
call on tourist itineraries. The penguins appear as white dots against
the black volcanic earth. Every spare patch of land is covered and
the penguins disappear up the mountainside frequently lost in the
mist.
The Russian explorer Fabian von Bellinghausen
landed on Zavodovski in 1819.
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Leskov Island: The smallest of the
group, a flat summit and precipitous on all sides.
Visokoi Island: Another single volcanic
cone.
Candlemass Island and Vindication Island:
These two lie about two miles apart and are separated by the Nelson
Channel. Candlemass has two peaks, Mount Andromeda and Mount Perseus, there
is also a volcanic cone, known as Lucifer Hill.
Saunders Island: Roughly crescent
shaped. In the middle of the island there is Mount Michael, a glaciated
but active volcanic cone.
Bristol Island: First sighted by James
Cook and is separated by the Forster Passage from;
Bellingshausen, Southern Thule and Cook
Islands: These form the most southerly of the group.
If you pass by the South
Sandwich Islands then make sure you remember the event
- if only to win a game of one-up-manship one day!
If you land on one
of the islands you're either a scientist, hopelessly lost, in a state of
some desperation, or possibly a fortunate traveller come to see the extraordinary
sight of the penguins on Zavadovski Island
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Tell me more
about a trip to Antarctica!
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2009/10 Itinerary
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Antarctic
Peninsula, Falklands, South Georgia cruises |
Antarctica
Cruise - The Peninsula
From $3,890 |
Antarctica
Cruise
Possibly the best overall trip, kayaking and scuba
 |
Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctic Peninsula
Most popular trip including South Georgia at the best
time of year |
South Georgia
and the Falkland Islands
25 days - national Geographic Partnership |
Antarctic Peninsula
climbing, kayaking |
Antarctica
Cruise
Comfortable expedition ship at half capacity |
|
Emperor
Penguin Safari, ice-breaker trip to the Weddell Sea |
Antarctica
Cruise - The Peninsula
Active Adventure - kayaking and climbing |
Antarctic Circle
optional scuba
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Antarctic
Circle
Kayaking, Camping |
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Antarctic
Peninsula
ice-breaker |
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Cruises in Eastern Antarctica
- Ross Sea Region |
Historic
Huts & Antarctic Heroes
Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo Sound |
Epic
Antarctica via the Phantom Coast and the Ross Sea
31 days, icebreaker |
Icebergs &
Emperors
Mawson’s hut, East Antarctic coast |
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Whale watching cruises |
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Galapagos cruises |
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Lonely Planet travel guide
Antarctica
USA
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UK
Antarctica Cruising
Guide
USA
|
UK
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, Alfred Lansing
Antarctic Oasis: Under the Spell of South Georgia, Pauline Carr
and Tim Carr
The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica, Sara Wheeler
The Crystal Desert, David Campbell |
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Antarctic Oasis
After 25 years of cruising the world's oceans, Pauline and Tim Carr
spent five years as the only civilian inhabitants of South Georgia.
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