Unexpected Wildlife in South Georgia (It’s Not Just Penguins)
Everyone comes for the penguins. They are incredible. I love them. I never tire of them. Yet they are only part of the story.
WEe Wild Adventure
It Is Not a Zoo
It is not a zoo. You never know what is going to be outside your window or front door in the morning. Throughout one night I heard lots of noise and groaning. Was it elephant seals fighting? When I awoke, I found that a female elephant seal had given birth to a wee noisy baby. The giant petrels (jeeps) and bonksies (great skuas) were fighting over the afterbirth. Thankfully I videod it, as within a few minutes it was gone.
Fur Seals: Small, Fast, and Ferocious
Fur seals are ferocious. It does not matter if they are juveniles, females or testosterone fuelled males. The protocol is that you take a bodger with you, the long wooden stick normally used for a broom. You use this to give yourself distance between anything that might want to chase or bite you. They can easily hide in the tussock grass, trust me. They are not cute, ok maybe the newborns, but for the most part these are not cute creatures, they have teeth. Being bitten by one of these, on a rock in the middle of the Southern Ocean, your days are numbered.
Walking the Gauntlet
The walk to work is about 1km, from KEP to Grytviken, around Cumbernland Bay. The male fur seals start pulling themselves up onto the beach and getting their territory. What they control will be for their harem. They make a noise which you might mistake for a dog crying, but this is a serious warning.
If at all possible you try to get past them by allowing them access to the sea. Do not get in the way of them and the sea, although more often than not that is not possible. You do your best. Be big, be loud, do not run. Running equals you are food. Hold your ground. One day I counted 49 males along that stretch of the bay. That meant they had set up territory on both sides of the track, all the way to work.
It was walking the gauntlet.
I also tragically watched the birth of a fur seal and listened as the mum cried, distraught at the stillborn pup. Life here is hard, unforgiving and sometimes so sad.
A Rare Blondie
We even had a “Blondie”.
A small number of fur seals are born with a rare condition called leucism. This gives them white or blonde fur, caused by a genetic mutation that prevents pigment from colouring the coat. It is different from albinism, as the skin and eyes are not affected.
We had one that appeared on the beach and in the waters around King Edward Point. The alert was sent out on the Whatsapp Group and we grabbed our phones and cameras. In a place already full of wildlife, this one is special
Elephant Seals: Massive and Unpredictable
Elephant seals are the first to give birth in South Georgia. As soon as the female has given birth and is nursing, the males try to mate with them again. She has to protect her pup too, as male elephant seals full of testosterone will even try to mate with the tiny babies.
They are the size of a family car, the males! They can easily block the track.
Penguins as speed bumps are easy, elephant seals as speed bumps are not easy to get past.
Weaners are the baby elephant seal
They were actually quite cute looking. The pups will nurse from their mothers for an average of 28 days before they are weaned and left alone on the beach. We affectionately call them “weaners.” After that, they form little crèches well away from the males. A much calmer, and much cuter, side of life on the beach.
The Unexpected Visitors
Other visitors included a very ugly looking leopard seal who pulled up a few times and hung out with the other seals.
We also had snowy sheathbills, nicknamed chickens, flying in and out.
Antarctic terns fiercely defend their nest sites and will attack your head. Use your bodger to add height and protect yourself. You will not know where their nest is. It could be over 30 metres away, but mum and dad know exactly where you are.
Birds, Ducks, and Shag Rock
There was a particular rock in the bay which I nicknamed Shag Rock, home to the indigenous South Georgia shag with its amazing crest.
There were many gulls which I never quite managed to distinguish, and the lovely little South Georgia pintail. These happy wee pairs were always busy, dabbling in puddles and getting out of your way. They liked to hang out along the track of the bay and around the old whaling station at Grytviken.
We also had Sooty Albatross, dark, almost smoky coloured birds which glide effortlessly. I was taken to a remote crag near Penguin River by Tracy the lovely Government Officer, for the chance of seeing them. And we got lucky!
The Penguins (Of Course)
Penguins were an absolute highlight.
We had a colony of king penguins outside Larsen House. If there is a patch of snow or a puddle, they would be in it. And did you know they sing? I am not saying it is beautiful to all ears, but to me it was.
We also had gentoo penguins visit. They were often quite shy and quick to disappear into Cumberland Bay if a human appeared.
And the Whales?
Whales. I never saw any. Back in the bay where they had once been hunted to extinction. Others told me that whales had been sighted the season before (24-25), but I was only there for two months and perhaps that was not long enough.
When the whaling station was first established, the whalers did not even have to leave Cumberland Bay for the first season, so full were the waters. Teeming with whales, which were then slaughtered.
The Ghosts of the Past
As you walk around Grytviken, you cannot ignore the whale bones.
They are scattered throughout the old whaling station. Huge ribs, vertebrae, great curved shapes lying where they were left.
A stark reminder of what once happened here.
It is hard to stand there, surrounded by wildlife slowly returning, and not think about what was lost. A place that was once so full of whales they did not even have to leave the bay, reduced to silence.
The Senses
You do not just see South Georgia, you experience it.
The noise of the male fur seals, the singing king penguins.
And the smell. As the male fur seals haul themselves up onto the beach, they stink. They excrete what is likely a pheromone to attract the females. If you cannot see the male, you will know one is nearby. It is pungent. Impossible to describe.
Living Here Means Protecting the Wildlife even if it feels like it is trying to kill you!
At King Edward Point, we had to close all blinds and curtains shortly before darkness. Someone from the BAS team would do a patrol to make sure it had been done. This was to prevent bird strikes, as lights can disorientate them. Even something as simple as a light left on could cause harm. You quickly realise you are not just living alongside wildlife, you have a responsibility to protect it too.
Read More About South Georgia
If you enjoyed this, you might also like:
- The Truth About Living in South Georgia: Life on One of the Most Remote Islands on Earth
- What Does a Post Officer Do in South Georgia? Life on One of the Most Remote Jobs on Earth
- Getting To South Georgia: What It Really Takes To Reach One Of The Most Remote Islands On Earth
If you want to understand more about the wildlife you might encounter here, there is a really useful guide here:
Animals of South Georgia Guide