Can it really be that we’ve only been at South Georgia for three full days? Since our cruise at Elsehul we have been inducted into the special club. When people ask, “What makes South Georgia so special?” Words generally escape the describer and, without pretense, the best response is, “You don’t know until you go there.” Our expectations have been shattered and our visit continues. Had the morning been dreary we wouldn’t have batted an eye, yet it was glorious and clear so we rejoiced in our luck. Starting in Fortuna Bay, many guests struck out to see South Georgia’s inland beauty while following the final leg of Ernest Shackleton’s heroic journey to safety ending at Stromness whaling station.
Taking advantage of favorable conditions, Magnus the baker, Max the cook, and I left Stromness and headed east to the tall cliffs of Grass Island. South Georgia’s nutrient rich waters and relative clarity allow kelp to grow very deep, often obscuring interesting marine life. However, on today’s dive, we found an incredible overhanging wall plastered with every imaginable invertebrate and even some that seem totally alien.
Kelp was unable to gain footing on the shaded wall, allowing for encrusting organisms to take over. Soft corals were extended and feeding on passing food and tube worms had their frilly fans swaying in the surge. Everywhere we looked, something was feeding, one animal was growing on another, and every available inch of space was being utilized. This small stretch of rock has been turned into an amazing testament to the productivity of the Southern Ocean. Because of the brilliant colors, you might think we were in the tropics, but I can assure you. The water was quite cold.
