In the morning we took the zodiacs to Gold Harbour where huge elephant seal males grunted and sneezed and fought each other for the nearby females. They were molting as well with shaggy bits of fur crusting on their backs. A sight to behold, and humorous as well. There were also tons of King Penguins at this site, and several skua, two of whom paid me a very close visit and created some of my most memorable photos of my trip. One came within a millimeter of my wide-angle lens. Worth the risk! Once back onboard the Ortelius, the wind picked up dramatically as we entered Drygalski Fjord. Several of us had to be rescued from the bow of the ship, as winds were at 100km/h and could easily have blown us off. A bit scary but I love that sort of thing so it was all good. The sea took on a ghostly appearance with the wind, and our first large glaciers emerged with bright turquoise accents. We were heading out to sea for a long voyage south to Antarctica, and our departure from South Georgia was simply spectacular.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.