The South Georgia Islands Group, one of the least visited destinations on earth, is a gem in the heart of the sub-Antarctic. Comprising of South Georgia Island and its smaller surrounding islands and rocks, this untouched paradise houses a rich tapestry of wildlife, thriving in a climate that is as harsh as it is beautiful. Despite the presence of ice and snow, these islands are remarkably green, their vegetation a stark contrast to the icy expanses of Antarctica. This is a Lost Eden where nature reigns supreme, teeming with an array of wildlife that includes vast colonies of king and other penguin species, fur and elephant seals, albatrosses, giant petrels, and other seabirds. Offshore, whales, orcas, and dolphins thrive in the nutrient-rich waters, making this the most diverse marine ecosystem on earth.
Your journey through the South Georgia Islands Group is carefully curated by your Expedition Leader based on local conditions and wildlife reports. You'll venture to historic communities like Grytviken, visit the sprawling breeding colony of king penguins on Salisbury Plain, and explore the rarely-visited, lesser-known sites nature allows.
Included South Georgia by Zodiac & Walks Ashore
Remote and forbidding South Georgia, the most rugged of all sub-Antarctic islands, digests the fury of the surrounding stormy seas. The frigid Southern Ocean is the most nutrient-rich on Earth, attracting whales by the thousands, legions of elephant seal, flotillas of fur seals, masses of penguins, and clouds of pelagic birds to both dine at the endless buffet, and to be dined on — a beautiful, brutal world of nature most raw. Leave the ship to explore one or more of the many potential environments on South Georgia with a Zodiac expedition, a ship cruise, a beach landing, or a walk ashore at a wildlife hotspot.
Grytviken: Grytviken, encircled by steep, rugged mountains, is the only settlement on South Georgia. Founded in 1904 as a whaling station, it was once home to 300 souls. Nowadays, Grytviken resembles a ghost town, strewn with a curious range of rusted tanks, oil processing plants, flensing tools, and the skeletons of derelict whaling vessels. The house of the station manager doubles as the South Georgia Museum, while the Lutheran church ages staunchly, standing proud in a field of senescence. Among the white crosses of the cemetery, a monument marks the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton. This failed explorer became an unlikely hero after snatching inconceivable victory from the jaws of crushing defeat. Grytviken has its own post office, which sells rare South Georgia stamps, and across the cove is the British Antarctic Survey scientific station at King Edward Point. Marching across the hinterland, dramatic glacier-covered mountains rise sharply to be crowned by Mount Paget at 6,900 feet (2,935 m).
Wildlife: Amid the vastness of the Southern Ocean, South Georgia is a place of pilgrimage for penguins — a place to feed, to breed, and to rear their young. Hundreds of thousands of king penguins nest on the beaches and flat plains — a mosaic in motion and a chaotic cacophony. Other penguins, along with skuas, petrels, albatrosses, and pipits, roost along its shores. A few million fur seals loll about like puppies, and hundreds of thousands of elephant seals jostle for a snooze-worthy scrap of sand.
Please note: Included Expeditions cannot be booked in advance. The ship's Expedition team will communicate finalized content and departure information. Dress warmly in layers with a windproof and waterproof outer layer; bring a warm hat, gloves and a scarf. Life jackets are provided and must be worn. Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed.
