After the South Sandwich Islands, we were ready for a good leg stretch. This morning was the perfect opportunity with our first landing in South Georgia at Moltke Harbour. We set foot onto a beautiful wild beach with stunning mountains and glaciers all around us. The weather constantly shifted from calm one moment to gusting katabatic winds the next. We experienced the true conditions of South Georgia from the get-go.
On the beach, we found our first king penguins, fur seals, elephant seals and gentoo penguins. Many of us were also very excited to spot the South Georgia pipit, the most southerly-located songbird on the planet. Interestingly, we discovered many bones on the beach and even some reindeer antlers. Once introduced to the island for meat and sport hunting, reindeer were eradicated to help conserve and rejuvenate the important tussock grasses here.
In the afternoon, we visited Godthul Bay, where we enjoyed Zodiac tours of the coastline. We searched for wildlife and peered into the majestical kelp forests below. Kelp forests are incredible environments, important for many species that are dependent upon them in the frigid seas surrounding South Georgia.
