In the morning, the sun is shining from a deep-blue sky; it’s bitterly cold, and the deck and mast are covered with a layer of ice.
After a warm bowl of porridge, we weigh anchor shortly after eight. The impressive scenery of South Georgia passes by on our starboard side: alpine peaks, often snow-capped all the way down to sea level, some of them glaciated. Our plan to discover this island as it awakens from its winter slumber is working out perfectly.
After two hours, we drop anchor in Rosita Harbor.
Rosita Harbour
The landscape—the bay—is breathtakingly beautiful. The surrounding mountains form striking patterns of black rock and white snow. We’re enjoying the sunshine after yesterday’s weather and hiking through the dazzlingly white landscape. Scattered mosses and lichens, or tufts of tussock grass, add a touch of color—a pale yellow-green. Hidden among them—often barely visible—are nesting Antarctic giant petrels. They are currently in their mating and nesting season and are very sensitive, so we keep our distance to avoid disturbing them. The fur seals—sometimes hidden away sleeping in the tussock grass, sometimes dozing in the sun at the water’s edge—also prefer their space and make this unmistakably clear if you get too close. They stand up and respond with a hiss. It’s time to retreat. The fur seals are surprisingly quick, and a bite from their sharp, highly infectious teeth would have serious consequences.
A single pair of Gentoo penguins is lazing about in the snow, and on the beach we once again encounter elephant seals, with their broad, contented smiles and numerous young.
We want to make the most of the good weather, so in the early afternoon we weigh anchor to head a few nautical miles further east in search of an anchorage for the night and another landing site.