South Georgia Island: Photo Paradise for Lovers of Nature
Stromness Whaling Station ruins on South Georgia Island.
I’d dreamed of traveling to South Georgia Island to photograph colonies of penguins, as well as Southern elephant seals, the graceful Wandering albatross and other seabirds. When my chance arrived, I grabbed it with great enthusiasm.
South Georgia Island is a mecca for wildlife photographers, ecologists and documentary film makers. Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, and discovered by Captain James Cook in 1775, South Georgia offers intrepid travelers dramatic landscapes, abundant wildlife and abandoned whaling stations.
I made this photo of Stromness, a former whaling station on the northern coast of South Georgia Island, on a beautiful, sunny summer’s day.
The blue sky provides a vivid color contrast with the dry grass and terracotta red colored roofs of the whaling station.
As you can see, the Stromness Whaling Station is located in a beautifully rugged landscape. It’s a photo paradise for landscape photographers.
Perhaps you’ve also noticed how I utilized variations in color, tone and texture in the foreground of the image to add impact to this distant view of the whaling station.
These days Stromness is in ruins and, because of collapsing buildings and significant asbestos contamination, a 200-metre exclusion zone has been placed around the station.
While it’s possible to make good photos from that distance, a perimeter, ironically along the final stage of the famous Shackleton hike, is in place around the site.
Named after a town on the island of Orkney in Scotland, I journey to Stromness on a photography tour I co-led to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.
It was an incredible experience, and one I hope to repeat in the next few years.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
A British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, South Georgia Island is, by far, the largest island in the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands group.
At 165 kilometers (i.e., 103 miles) long and 35 kilometers (i.e., 22 miles) wide, South Georgia is a formidable location showcasing dramatic beauty in a wild and harsh environment.
Actually, South Georgia is surrounded by more than 70 smaller coastal islands, islets and rocks.
Here’s a list of the smaller islands, some of which are also visited by tour groups, located just off the coast of South Georgia Island.
Bird Island
Saddle Island
Cooper Island
Annenkov Island
Grass Island
Jomfruene
Pickersgill Island
Trinity Island
Welcome Island
Willis Island
South Sandwich Islands
The more remote and colder South Sandwich Islands are around 1,000 km (621 mi) further south of South Georgia Island.
Uninhabited, due to the harsh sub-Antarctic climate and the risk of volcanic activity, they receive few visitors.
Comprising 11 volcanic islands, the 400 km (249 mi) long archipelago is categorized into the following four groups:
Traversay Islands
Comprising Zavodovski, Leskov and Visokoi Islands.
Candlemas Islands
Comprising Candlemas and Vindication Islands.
Central Islands
Comprising Saunders, Montagu and Bristol Islands.
Southern Thule
Comprising Bellingshausen, Cook and Thule Islands.
Research scientists, expedition cruise ships and yachts occasionally visit to study the volcanoes and penguin colonies on these islands.
As a case in point, Zawokovski Island has a population of over two million chinstrap penguins.
Population of South Georgia Island
The population on South Georgia is non permanent, varying in size from between 8 and 16 people during the winter months up to 30 or 40 during the warmer summer months.
Employed by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the British Antarctic Survey, or the South Georgia Heritage Trust, these folk work as scientists, government officers and museum curators.
However, with wildlife a major drawcard, several thousand tourists now visit South Georgia Island every year.
Tourists sleep, eat and make use of shower and toilet facilities on expedition cruise ships, and undertake short excursions to a variety of locations on South Georgia with the aid of extremely versatile zodiac inflatable boats.
How To Get To South Georgia Island
Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, travel to South Georgia Island is usually undertaken, as a paying customer, on an expedition cruise ship.
Due to the isolation of this sub-Antarctic group of islands, getting to South Georgia requires significant travel.
Most folks reach South Georgia, via an expedition cruise, on a return trip from Ushuaia at the bottom of Argentina.
Like mine, their itinerary will often include the Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
While the amount of days you’ll spend at sea will depend upon weather and ocean currents, here’s some approximate distances to help add some context to just how isolated South Georgia really is.
1,551 km (963 mi) south-southeast of Stanley on the Falkland Islands
1,300-1,400 km (800 mi) east-southeast of Ushuaia, Argentina
1,300-1,600 km (800-1,000 mi) northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula
Hungry King penguin chicks on Salisbury Plain on South Georgia Island.
Photo Opportunities on South Georgia Island
I've only visited South Georgia Island once, but very much hope to return. The landscapes are dramatic and the quantity and diversity of wildlife is mind blowing.
In addition to the dramatic landscapes of offer, you’ll be amazed by the staggering sight of significant populations of southern fur seals, southern elephant seals and king penguins on the island.
To help make sense of the massive amounts of wildlife, it’s a good idea to make some photos that isolate individual or small groups of penguins from the rest of their rookeries.
The best ways to do so include the following:
Use a telephoto lens to zoom in on the subject
If required, and it’s safe to do so, more in closer to the subject
Utilize a shallow depth of field
I employed all three of the above listed techniques to make this photo of hungry king penguin chicks on Salisbury Plain.
Doing so allowed me to place attention on the penguin chick closest to the camera and achieve visual separation between it and the other chicks surrounding it.
Penguins are incredibly cute and these little king penguin chicks were a delight to photograph.
Insulated behind thick and fluffy layers of down, they seemed well protected from the cold and wind on Salisbury Plain.
As mentioned previously, the ruins of several whaling stations on the island of South Georgia also provide fantastic opportunities for photography.
Actually, it’s quite surreal wandering around these sites, located in dramatic locations on the island.
Just remember, at all times, to keep an eye out for territorial Antarctic fur seals and extremely dangerous southern elephant seals.
Having said that, you shouldn’t be over worried about wildlife, so long as you follow your tour guide’s recommendations for maintaining a safe physical distance between yourself and any wildlife you approach.
The minimum distance visitors are required to keep between themselves and wildlife on South Georgia is 15 feet or 5 metres.
Importantly, a distance of 330 feet or 100 metres is required when viewing or photographing sensitive species like the giant petrel and giant albatross
I recommend you keep an eye out for wildlife while walking through habitat where the terrain provides a degree of natural camouflage.
After all, you wouldn’t want to step on a sleeping Antarctic fur seal.
Likewise, treat southern elephant seals with the utmost respect.
Given their land speed and ferocious nature, coming too close to a male southern elephant seal might not end well for you.
wildlife on South Georgia Island
In addition to large colonies of king penguins, there are said to be three million breeding pairs of macaroni penguins on South Georgia Island.
Indeed, it’s the largest population of macaroni penguins in the world.
In addition to leopard seals, antarctic fur seals, weddell seals and southern elephant seals, South Georgia Island offers a wide range of interesting subjects for the aspiring avian wildlife photographer, that include the following:
King, macaroni, gentoo and chinstrap penguins
Albatross
Petrels
Prions, Shags and Skuas
Gulls and Terns
About To Travel?
Rats and the South Georgia Heritage Trust
It’s said that rats, introduced accidentally onto the island, are responsible for the loss of tens of millions of ground-nesting bird eggs and chicks over the years.
The good news is that a rodent eradication program, the largest of its kind in the world, has now resolved this terrible problem.
A great thanks to all the folks associated with the South Georgia Heritage Trust for the dedication and hard work that enabled them to achieve this fabulous outcome.
Stromness Reindeer Eradication Program
There used to be reindeer around Stromness but, following an eradication program conducted between 2013 and 2015, they’ve been removed.
While an interesting site for an Aussie, like me, the reindeer were an invasive pest on South Georgia.
Reindeer were introduced to the island, between 1909 and 1925, as a food source as also for recreational hunting for the Norwegian whalers station there.
Adapting well to the weather and terrain, the reindeer population eventually multiplied to a number in excess of 3,000.
As a result they began to endanger the native ecosystem, particularly the native grasses and penguin habitats on South Georgia.
Spectacular view of low lying cloud over mountain peaks, South Georgia Island.
Hiking on South Georgia Island
Here’s a photo made on a relatively short walk between the atmospheric Salisbury Plain and the Grace Glacier on South Georgia Island.
I love how the low lying cloud seems to hover over the mountain peaks. It adds a graphic and somewhat surreal note to this simple, yet detail rich image.
There are numerous walks available on South Georgia including coastal walks and tough, multi-day treks involving glacier crossings, fjords and penguin colonies.
The Shackleton Walk: King Haakon Bay to Stromness
The most famous hike on South Georgia Island follows the route taken by Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1916.
Shackleton led the British Imperial Trans-Atlantic Expedition between 1914-1916. The plan was to cross Antarctica, via the South Pole, from a base established on the Weddell Sea to McMurdo Sound.
Unfortunately the expedition ship, the Endurance, became trapped in ice off the Caird Coast. After drifting for 10 months, the Endurance was finally crushed by pressure from the surrounding ice.
After drifting on ice floes for another 5 months, the expedition finally escaped in boats to Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands.
Apparently they survived by hunting and consuming seal and penguin meat. They also slaughtered and ate their sleigh dogs.
Survival meant that these brave souls needed to continue their journey all the way to South Georgia Island, some 1,300 km (800 miles) to the northeast.
Ernest Shackleton, accompanied by 5 members of his crew, undertook that harrowing journey. They sailed and rowed for 16 days, in a whaleboat, across the Scotia Sea before finally reaching South Georgia.
And still the adventure continued.
Arriving at Cave Cove on King Haakon Bay, Shackleton and group members, Worsley and Crean, made the first traverse of South Georgia Island to find help at the Stromness whaling station.
The determination of these exhausted, brave souls was so strong that they labored on for 36 hours until they reached Stromness.
It took four separate relief expeditions, conducted over a four month period, before Shackleton succeeded in rescuing his crew from Elephant Island.
What an amazing story.
It is possible to walk in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton and cross South Georgia Island. There are two options available.
The more challenging option is the 35.5 km (22 mi) hike from King Haakon Bay, on the western shores of the island, to Stromness where the abandoned whaling station and a large colony of Gentoo penguins await you.
The full hike follows this route:
Depart from King Haakon Bay
Ascend to Murray Snowfield
Continue upwards and over Trident Pass to Crean Camp
Ascend Crean Glacier to Great Nunatak
Cross Fortuna Glacier
Descend to Fortuna Bay
Hike onward to Stromness
Depending upon the exact route taken, the longer version of Shackleton’s Walk can vary in distance from 35 to 50 km (22 to 31 mi).
It’s a significant undertaking involving the crossing of large, heavily crevassed glaciers and alpine passes.
With good weather it’s possible to complete the hike in two days, though tour groups often allow three.
Most folks, following in the footsteps of Shackleton and his companions, opt to complete the last leg of his heroic journey across South Georgia Island.
The most popular option is the final section of the Shackleton Walk, from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.
Expect to witness dramatic landscapes, massive glaciers, king and gentoo penguins, fur seals, and southern elephant seals on this spectacular and difficult hike.
It’s a strenuous 6 km (3.7 mi ) hike, traversing glaciated and mountainous terrain, and only suitable for folks with alpine trekking or mountaineering experience.
I’m reliably told that the scenery is spectacular and provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in some of the world’s most rugged and remote terrain.
It’s a hike I’d love to complete and, if the weather’s favorable, I hope to do so on my next visit to South Georgia.
Abstract image on the water's surface off Prion Island, South Georgia.
Zodiac Landings on South Georgia Island
Our numerous shore excursions were made after a short journey from our cruise ship to beaches on zodiac inflatable boats.
Once members of the tour had safely alighted, our guides allowed us to wander around and photograph the amazing landscape and wildlife at each site.
So long as we didn’t enter restricted areas, like the Stromness Whaling Station, or ignore guidelines concerning the minimum distance we were expected to maintain when viewing wildlife, we were free to enjoy ourselves.
Having said that, I kept busy moving around and helping participants in the photography tour create better photos.
Other than that, as long as we kept an eye on the time and got back to our zodiac inflatable boats on time, all we had to watch out for was changing weather and aggressive wildlife.
After a successful zodiac landing on the beach at Stromness, our tour group needed to made its way through a bunch of feisty fur seals to reach the open plain grasslands above the beach.
Passing through that particular gauntlet wasn’t too bad, first time around.
However, I vividly remember having to face down harassment from several quite aggressive seals as I helped guide tour group participants make the short jaunt back to the shoreline in safety.
Unfortunately, being the last one to head back to the zodiacs, I had no such support.
And those pesky seals made the most of it.
Once safely ensconced back in the zodiac, I was able to make a few last photos of elephant seals as we made our way back to the cruise ship anchored offshore.
Only moments after commencing our short journey back to the ship, and just meters away from me, this spectacular pattern appeared in the water alongside my zodiac.
Having missed the opportunity to make a similar image years earlier, I had my camera settings dialed in and was able to respond and make this abstract photo from our zodiac inflatable boat.
Almost immediately after releasing my camera’s shutter the scene disappeared and, with the engine propelling us forward, we were on our way back to the ship.
I just love the momentary patterns formed on the water, by the motion of the zodiac, as we moved through the water.
Immediately after I made the photo those patterns were gone.
It’s incredibly exciting to experience such a transient moment. To be able to preserve such fleeting experiences through photography is at the heart of my own creative journey.
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Whaling On South Georgia Island
Sadly, whaling and the harvesting of large numbers of seals took place for over one hundred years on South Georgia Island.
However, the historically important sites at Stromness and Grytviken Whaling Station do provide an valuable insight into early human settlement on South Georgia.
I particularly enjoyed my visit to the old Grytviken Whaling Station.
These sites act as powerful reminders, warning of how badly human kind has managed natural resources on this, otherwise pristine, sub-Antarctic wildlife paradise.
Visiting these, now abandoned, whaling stations will likely be an educational and emotional experience that will add variety to your own photography adventures on the island.
If you’re thinking about a trip to Antarctica I most certainly recommend you consider an itinerary that includes South Georgia Island.
Despite a history based around whaling and seal hunting, South Georgia Island is now, once again, a haven for wildlife.
What’s more, other than the possibility of meeting up with one or two of a few dozen workers and scientists on the island, the only people you’ll likely see will be folks from your own tour group.
Exploring the spectacular South Georgia Island, as part of a tour group full of like-minded photographers, is a great way to spend your day.
I can’t wait until I return. Perhaps we’ll travel there together.
