A Magical Day and Tribute to Ernest Shackleton

Photo Credit: Abercrombie and Kent

Many thanks to Jim Fornshell for keeping us posted about today's activities!! Here is his most recent note:

Today we had two tours of South Georgia, one by zodiac early this morning and one that had us actually landing and strolling all around a wide, flat grassy area between a glacier and the sea called the Salisbury Plain. The zodiac tour was terrific -- very close encounters with sea elephants, fur seals, macaroni and king penguins, and all sorts of sea birds (albatrosses and petrels). Many would come right up to the boats to check us out. We couldn't go ashore there because the fur seals, which are especially aggressive, even as pups, were too densely situated on the beach.

However, this afternoon was what the trip is all about. Gorgeous weather -- bright blue skies, temps in the low 40's, mild breezes-- and upclose encounters with animals of the sort we only dream about when flipping through National Geographic or watching Animal Planet! Think of the most marvelous zoo and then think about that incredible moment when you decide to climb over the fence and walk among the animals -- that's the Salisbury Plain at South Georgia! Thousands of animals scattered over a vast, green carpet dimpled with tussock grass. Fur seals "huff" as you walk past; seal pups -- looking like a litter of black lab puppies scattered over dozens of acres -- sleep away in the sunshine. Only the most supreme act of self restraint kept me from hugging them! King penguins are everywhere, cawing and flapping flippers. The immature chicks are comical -- almost as wide as they are tall and covered in brown down. When you sit quietly for a spell, curious penguins will waddle over to check you out. When you look inland, you see nothing but calm, healthy animals dotting the landscape to the foot of the mountains and ice fields; when you turn to the sea, you behold penguins and seals porpoising across the bay and the majestic Prince Albert II riding at anchor. No wonder Ernest Shackleton's wife requested he be buried here. The day was magical.

We'll soon have a card reader copy photos from people's cameras and get them onto the blog ASAP. We took only about a billion!

Lots of love to everyone!

Jim