Fortuna was spectacular. It is the site of a medium-sized
King Penguin rookery and a breeding site for Fur Seals and Elephant Seals. As
we walked up the beach towards the penguin rookery we were struck by the smell
of the male Fur Seals- believe it or not, a mix of garlic and fried onions!
This time of year the fast-moving males are not very aggressive but later on,
great care has to be taken around them and we approach to only 50ft.
Our reward at the end of the short hike was the King Penguin
colony. Adults and many brown, fat chicks stood together in large groups,
vocalizing, interacting with each other and generally enjoying the beautiful
sun and relatively calm conditions of the morning. Some chicks were attended by
one parent and occasional feedings were witnessed. The chicks were eager to
approach us probably in case we were their parents returning with food. Of
course they were all disappointed!
After the landing, intrepid hikers were transferred to the
other side of the bay to start the Shackelton Walk from Fortuna to Strømness.
The hike, in the footsteps of one Antarctica’s most famous explorers, was
exhilarating and the summit provided panoramic views of this part of South
Georgia.
As all this was happening the Fram sailed around to Strømness and we
started the landing there in the late afternoon. As the sun went down the fur
seals, sea lions and King Penguins were lit up with golden light with a
backdrop of brilliant greens or surprisingly photogenic rusting metal of
the old whaling station there.
We go to bed tonight tired but very satisfied in the
knowledge that we visited a unique, remote spot on this planet and left only a
few foot prints.
