Preparations
On the evening of the previous day, we begin preparing for our first shore leave. Here in South Georgia, that involves quite a bit of effort. To prevent anything that doesn’t belong here—such as seeds, soil, plant parts, or other “civilization debris”—from reaching the island, all items, clothing… must be thoroughly cleaned. And so there’s a flurry of activity on board: backpacks, clothes, and bags are thoroughly searched, emptied, and cleaned. Everything is turned inside out. The soles of all shoes and boots are brushed clean. Every Velcro fastener is meticulously cleared of any lint or fibers.
In addition, boots must be disinfected before and after every time you go ashore.
All of this is done to protect and preserve this sensitive ecosystem from external influences as much as possible.
The First Foot on Land
By mid-morning, the time has come: we haul the dinghy and the outboard motor out of the forepeak, set them up on deck, and lower them into the water. Yesterday’s evening sun, however, was just a brief interlude: it’s cold, gray, and raining, and the wind is blowing down the valley at 30 to 35 knots. All in all, it’s more than unpleasant, but never mind: we want to see where we’ve ended up, so we cross over in three groups in the dinghy and set foot on South Georgia for the first time.
And the local welcoming party is standing and lying in wait: king penguins are standing and walking around, eyeing us curiously. Elephant seals are lying and dozing in several groups on the beach or even further inland on the snow-covered valley floor—completely unfazed by the inclement weather.
A large, massive bull guards his harem of several females and defends them against any rival. He lies there, seemingly asleep—but as soon as an intruder appears, he is wide awake, rears up to his full height, and lets out a deep, angry growl. We prefer to keep a safe distance from this 3-4 metric-ton beast.
For just under two hours, we brave the Antarctic winter weather, explore the bay, and watch its inhabitants go about their business. While we’re waiting for Voy and the dinghy, a leopard seal suddenly surfaces right in front of us—probably hungry, on the hunt for dinner. We’re hungry, too, so we head back to the Selma and warm up with some hot soup.
The wind will remain strong, and it will start snowing in the evening.