South Georgia - Godthul - Grytviken

The ship set sail from Gold Harbour at 5am and then we were woken by the usual Stefan wake-up call, which was followed by the crew singing happy birthday, Stefan. It was very funny!

Today is the Falklands Referendum and I am still regretting not going back to the Penguin News to get the referendum poster!

We arrived at Godthul, Norwegian for 'Good Hollow', at 8.30am. We took the Zodiacs ashore where we were met by Stefan and we all sang happy birthday to him. There were the usual aggressive fur seals, as well as some gentoo penguins.

Taking the Zodiac from the ship to Godthul

The bay at Godthul with some small icebergs

Yet another fur seal cub!

Once on shore, we took a lovely walk through tussock grass and then across open ground to a lake. Wendy had been undecided about attempting the climb but, with the aid of her walking-pole and my help, she easily made it all the way to the lake.

We walked past the remains of one of the culled reindeer. It was rather sad to see it lying there amongst the rocks. We saw many holes where rats had been living but, according to the scientists managing the rat eradication programme, they have all been eradicated in this area.

Climbing up towards the lake

Our goal!

When we reached the lake, we were given the option of returning the way we had just come or taking a longer hike around the lake and then back down to the beach. We decided to retrace the way we had come.

The ship with moulting gentoo penguins in the foreground

Once back down to the beach, we waited for one of the Zodiacs to pick us up and take us to the ship.

Stefan on the radio calling for a Zodiac

Me with Peter Damisch

On the way back to the ship passing one of the icebergs

The weather was now beginning to change and, on the short ride back to the ship, it started to snow. Quite a change from the sunshine when we arrived.

Back on board the Explorer, we went up to the Panorama Lounge and had tea with David and Chris. By now the snow was falling quite heavily.

At lunch we sat with Uli and Herman and had the obligatory champagne with our meal! The ship set sail for Grytviken, where we arrived in the afternoon.

We both felt good about being back here. It truly is a special place, made more so by the Shackleton association with Dulwich College. Each time I hear his name, I think back to when I was at the College and how the masters talked about him with such reverence.

This is where we will say goodbye to Jo, who we picked up in the Falklands and is now returning to an eight month tour of duty with the British Antarctic Survey. She will be here over the winter with a group of nine other men and women.

Peter and Lesley have been telling us how they got married here. They met by Shackleton's grave and then married three years later in the church at Grytviken.

Grytviken with the research station on the right of the bay

The British Antarctic Survey Research Station

Jo and over her right shoulder her home for the next 8 months

Still lying there after 30 years, the Argentinian landing craft

We weighed anchor and took the short Zodiac ride to the shore. We went first to the Carr Maritime Gallery, which was opened by the Princess Royal in 2009. It is where the replica of the James Caird is exhibited.

Me standing next to a huge Wandering Albatross

The icebergs in the bay

Thomas, the acting curator, telling us about Grytviken

We walked the short distance to the church and Wendy rang the bell!

Then it was back down through the whaling station and on round the bay to the graveyard, passing the old whaling ship, the Petrel. Tied up alongside was a small boat, the Alexandra Shackleton. This is another James Caird replica and had just re-enacted the crossing from Elephant Island to South Georgia. There is going to be a documentary on Discovery about the voyage. It will be interesting to see it when it is released.

The Petrel

The Alexandra Shackleton

As we walked to the graveyard, we were 'attacked' by dozens, no hundreds, of fur seals. There was a plague of them!! From virtual extinction due to fur sealing, they have rebounded with a vengeance since sealing was banned. They need some natural predators to control the numbers.

When we reached the cemetery, we saw the grave marker recently placed in the graveyard for the remains of Shackleton's right-hand man, Frank Wild. It was rather emotional to think that, after so many years apart, the two men are now together again.

I like the quotation from Robert Browning on the back of Shackleton's headstone which says, ' I hold that a man should strive to the uttermost for his life's set prize'.

Frank Wild's grave

Shackleton's headstone with Robert Browning's quotation 

Peter and Lesley Damisch by Shackleton's grave

No respect for the dead - three fur seals asleep on the grave!

We walked round the graveyard and noticed this headstone for Felix Oscar Artuso, with a submarine emblem. It was placed there by the Argentinian Navy in remembrance of Artuso, who died on South Georgia in the 1982 conflict.

Unlike on our previous visit, there was no champagne brought from the ship and no captain to lead a toast to Shackleton. Instead, we all stood outside the graveyard while Peter Damisch spoke very movingly about Shackleton, quoting poetry and then calling for three cheers to Shackleton and the others buried there, which we all did very loudly.

By now we were all pretty cold and, after running the gauntlet of the fur seals, we took the Zodiacs back to the ship to warm up.

Sarah Lurcock from the South Georgia Heritage Trust came on board and gave a lecture about the rat eradication programme. It was very interesting and heartening to hear how quickly wildlife is returning to those areas where there are no more rats.

At the end of the lecture, we decamped to the bar and said our goodbyes to Jo, who was leaving the ship that evening. We had our dinner with Fran, Steve, Peter and Lesley - another fun evening!

We are now waiting to hear what is going to happen tomorrow because of the large storm that is going through the area. Will we leave South Georgia or will we be stuck here???

Distance Travelled: 16 NM