Cave Cove, South Georgia Island
When Captain James Cook discovered South Georgia Island on January 17, 1775, he believed that he had found Antarctica. After circumnavigating the 120 mile by 20 mile land mass Cook was disappointed that he had failed to locate the southern continent. He was not impressed, “Lands doomed by nature to perpetual frigidness, never to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays, whose horrible and savage aspect I have not words to describe…” Cook named the island after his king, George III.
Sir Ernest Shackleton and his five companions on board the converted lifeboat James Caird were anything but disappointed when they set foot on the wave swept beach which they named Cave Cove on May 10, 1916. They had left Elephant Island near the Antarctic Peninsula sixteen days earlier and had found Cave Cove in King Hakkon Bay in spite of constant storms and few chances to take sightings to confirm their course. They had traveled almost 800 miles, their rudder was broken, and they were out of water.
Still, they had major trials ahead. Finding Cave Cove an unacceptable camp, they sailed farther into King Hakkon Bay to set up Peggotty Camp, a move that we also made, though aboard our much more comfortable home, the Endeavour. From this point Shackleton and two of his men made the legendary crossing of South Georgia to reach the Norwegian whaling station and help on the other side of the island. The thirty-two mile trek across uncharted mountains and glaciers took about thirty-six hours.
When Captain James Cook discovered South Georgia Island on January 17, 1775, he believed that he had found Antarctica. After circumnavigating the 120 mile by 20 mile land mass Cook was disappointed that he had failed to locate the southern continent. He was not impressed, “Lands doomed by nature to perpetual frigidness, never to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays, whose horrible and savage aspect I have not words to describe…” Cook named the island after his king, George III.
Sir Ernest Shackleton and his five companions on board the converted lifeboat James Caird were anything but disappointed when they set foot on the wave swept beach which they named Cave Cove on May 10, 1916. They had left Elephant Island near the Antarctic Peninsula sixteen days earlier and had found Cave Cove in King Hakkon Bay in spite of constant storms and few chances to take sightings to confirm their course. They had traveled almost 800 miles, their rudder was broken, and they were out of water.
Still, they had major trials ahead. Finding Cave Cove an unacceptable camp, they sailed farther into King Hakkon Bay to set up Peggotty Camp, a move that we also made, though aboard our much more comfortable home, the Endeavour. From this point Shackleton and two of his men made the legendary crossing of South Georgia to reach the Norwegian whaling station and help on the other side of the island. The thirty-two mile trek across uncharted mountains and glaciers took about thirty-six hours.
