South Georgia - Gold Harbour and St Andrews Bay

Friday, 28 February 2020

We had three spectacular excursions today: a sunrise on the beach at Gold Harbor, a "long hike" up to the ridge at Gold Harbour, and a hike on the glacial outwash and up to the penguin colony at St Andrews Bay.

Sunrise at Gold Harbour.

King penguins. The colors and density reminded us of a West Point graduation.

If you stand still, the curious penguins will usually get quite close. We're supposed to stay 5 m away from wildlife (even more for molting penguins), but it's ok if they come up to you.

Penguins on the beach and fur seals in the tussock.

A juvenile fur seal in the tussock.

Penguins and seals were both curious about a GoPro set up to record beach activity.

Kings are perhaps the most elegantly plumed of all the penguins.

There was and occasional gentoo or two in the midst of all the kings.

This gentoo does not seem inclined to give up his claim to this rock.

This juvenile has just about replaced all of its downy chick feathers with adult ones.

Penguins aren't the only species to undergo an annual "catastrophic molt". This time of year elephant seals also shed their old skin and fur and get a new set. While doing so they "wallow" in large groups to help retain heat.

Elephant seals having a disagreement. They remind me of sumo wrestlers.

Our morning "long hike" went up to the top of the ridge on the north side of Gold Harbour.

Ridge-top view of the Gold Harbour penguin colony.

Greetings from the ridge top.

A wallow of elephant seals at St Andrews Bay looking (to me) like a package of bratwurst.

There are still a few chicks among the penguins. The grow to full size before they lose their baby feathers.

King penguins at St Andrews Bay.