The snow-capped peaks of South Georgia Island appeared on the horizon after 1450 km on the open sea from the Falkland Islands, where we last saw land. An island as remote as this is only discovered by accident. It was first seen in 1675 when a ship sailing around the southernmost tip of South America was blown off course during a storm.
Exactly a century later, Captain James Cook and some of his men on board the HMS Resolution were the first to step ashore. They fired a salvo and claimed the island in the name of King George III of England. But they were actually in search of Antarctica and when they sailed around the bottom of the island, they named it Cape Disappointment.
In the late 1700s and through the 1800s, South Georgia was visited by seal hunters and whalers. This rugged bunch became the first people to overwinter. What motivated them? The profits they could make by selling the fur, skin and fat of the animals they hunted.
South Georgia is sickle-shaped, about 170 km long and never wider than 40 km. There are glaciers in the deep valleys and 13 peaks higher than 2000 m. (Mount Paget is the highest at 2934 m). The prevailing wind blows from the south-west; man and animal can find shelter on the north-eastern coast. All the old whaling stations were built here, and penguins, Antarctic fur seals and elephant seals gather on the open beaches in early spring to mate, lay eggs or birth their young.
Our group of nearly 80 keen wildlife photographers had these super colonies in our sights. About 20 other guests and I were travelling with Guts Swanepoel and Pangolin Photo Safaris; the rest of the group was made up of mostly Americans travelling with Muench Workshops, also a photography tour company. We were on board the MV Ushuaia and we'd departed from Ushuaia in Argentina more than a week ago.
The only problem was Covid-19 had also boarded the ship...
Denne historien er fra June/July 2023-utgaven av go! - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra June/July 2023-utgaven av go! - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Rolling out the big guns
If you're still scanning the horizon for a Chinese automotive invasion you're looking the wrong way. It's already happening, and the new GWM Tank is the off-road spearhead into the highly lucrative and hotly contested lifestyle market.
TAKE A HIKE
The beautiful agony of Tienuurkop
Time out in Dullies
A long weekend in Dullstroom is just long enough to make you realise you need to spend several more weekends here! There's food, drink, art and action in abundance. Here's your guide.
Gallivanting in the Galápagos!
The Galápagos Islands are on many a traveller's wish list. They were on Hanlie and Vivian Gericke's too, even though the price of visiting made their eyes water. Was it worth it? Read on...
BURCHELL AND THE COUNTRY OF THE BUSHMEN
How many times have you driven through a landscape and wished you could have seen it centuries ago? In 1811, the English artist and explorer, William John Burchell, travelled through South Africa. Join us as we follow in his footsteps.
Long live the Hibiscus Coast
The KZN South Coast is a national treasure. It's still the place to go if you want a classic seaside holiday complete with warm waves, cold beer, soft serve and good vibes. Here's your guide.
The island at the end of the earth
Imagine adlace-with the cleanest air arid:the clearest seawater, where_no human.oranimabwants to:harm you: A placewhere the climates balmy. year-round:-with a sekrhistory ahd wwild scenery. A place like this:exist8” and it’s called St Helena.
A day on the road
You never know what the road will bring. Toast Coetzer heads south on the N1 and discovers South Africa.
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
