South Georgia Island
Grytviken
We
are sailing southwest on the way down to Antarctica after having
spent the morning at Grytviken, the first whaling station in
Antarctic waters, founded by Carl Anton Larson in 1904. The weather
has been absolutely beautiful these past few days; the water, a rich
shade of blue, is very calm and the sun is shining brightly, the
snow-covered mountain tops regal and lightly dusted with clouds. So
that we won't get complacent, the staff reminds us daily that we are
very lucky and not to expect the sunshine to continue. We will see
just how long our luck holds out...
Grytviken
is a fascinating place; remnants of the whaling station predominate
the area and scattered about are fur and elephant seals. Not being
observant enough about the direction I was headed, I came within
inches of walking into one of these animals which would undoubtedly
have caused quite a ruckus for the seal and some injuries for me.
Luckily, one of my fellow passengers warned me just in time...always
good to have someone looking out for you!
The Whaler's Church, still in use, is open for visiting, as well as a museum with a display of the whaling, sealing, exploring and natural histories of the island and a cemetery, the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton. And then there's a gift shop...the last chance to buy a souvenir until we get back to Argentina.
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