“Shack” Wrap-Up

This blog is beginning to sound like a broken record. Just when you think things can’t get any better, they do! We had a very early start today, with a Zodiac ride to St. Andrews Bay at 0500 so we could enjoy the sunrise with the King Penguins. As luck would have it, there were just a few clouds, which is unusual for South Georgia Island. I had five intimate hours with over 200,000 penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, and other birds.

King Penguin Duet Welcoming the Sun



Where’s Waldo?



Recall the King Penguin chicks, the silly looking Oakum Boys? Well, upon further patient and quiet observation, it became obvious that the newly born King Penguin chick is even uglier! The parents share the work with incubating the egg. They place the egg on their feet and cover it with their tummy flab, the “brood patch.” Once the chick is hatched (~54 days), the chick spends most of its early days tucked in the brood patch. The parents eat lots of fish (Lantern Fish) and squid, and then regurgitate it to feed the chick.

A Week Old King Penguin Chick and Parent



Elegant King Penguin Quartet



We spent the afternoon in Grytviken. It was interesting to tour the old whaling station and museum. Check out the stuffed Wandering Albatross! Don’t worry, it died of natural causes. Its wingspan is typically between ten to twelve feet! It makes it easy to appreciate why these birds are so mesmerizing as they fly by our ship.

Wandering Albatross Taxidermy Specimen



Today marked the last stop for the Shackleton portion of the expedition. There is a life-sized model of his lifeboat that they traveled in from Elephant Island. Six men in such a small boat, traveled over 800 miles to arrive at South Georgia Island. Shackleton died on South Georgia Island from a heart attack at the age of 47. He is buried at Grytviken. We visited his grave and toasted his memory with a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Ernest Shackleton's Final Resting Place



The Shackleton fans have treasured every step of the expedition thus far. They will now go through some withdrawal. One fan mentioned his dismay, as well as the fact that he thought he had seen enough penguins. The penguin fans have grown to love and admire Shackleton. For the rest of us, it’s all good. We continue on with a few more days in South Georgia Island, and then steam to the Falkland Islands.