We start our day at Godthul, named for a Norwegian word for "good harbor." This was a busy whaling station and whale bones remain scattered all over. This little fur seal is using an old bone for a pillow.
Godthul Harbour baby fur seal resting on whale bone
These barrels are remnants of the whale oil processing station. Closed down for many years, this is where thousands of whales were brought to have blubber stripped and the oil processed.
Godthul Harbour
Whale carcasses once filled the harbor and lined the beach. This is now home to a rebounded fur seal colony.
Godthul Harbour
Fur seals flank King Penguins amid old whale bones on the Godthul beach.
Seals and penguins at Godthul Harbour
Gentoo penguins waddle to the shore and swim off in their constant search for krill.
Back on the ship, we pass more fields of tabular ice bergs on the way to our next landing.
Cumberland Bay
As we arrive at Cumberland Bay and King Edward Point BAS (British Antarctic Survey station), we get our first glimpse of Grytviken.
Grytviken Whaling Station
This is the location of Shackleton's grave.
Ernest Shackelton's Grave
And, we arrive on a special day--the 91st anniversary of Shackleton's self-rescue. Pauline Carr, one of our expert educators, gets scotch for our toast to the "Boss"on the 91st anniversary of his death. Pauline, and her husband Tim, sailed a 28 foot sailboat from England to Grytviken and lived here, mostly by themselves, for 14 years. Hearty souls.
Toasting Shackleton
Making our way across the harbor, we walk around many elephant seals snuffing and snorting as they nestle into the folds in the land.
Grytviken
The Petrel, a rusty old whaling ship, sits in the Grytviken harbor as a sobering monument to the carnage that occurred here.
Grytviken
The chains seem to symbolize the hard living that was Grytviken.
Grytviken
And above the town sits the chapel, an example of the beauty of South Georgia.
The Grytviken Church
A full visit as we head back to the ship.
The Grytviken Church
Tomorrow we head to St. Andrews Bay--this should be one of the high points of the trip. A massive king penguin colony at the point where three glaciers terminate.