Weather and ice conditions permitting, while in South Georgia, you may also explore the settlement of Grytviken. Encircled by steep rugged mountains Grytviken was previously a haven for hunting whales, but due to overhunting, whale stocks around this region rapidly diminished. You can still see the remnants of the old whaling stations, with some ships left rusting around the bay and other abandoned outposts. Now that hunting is history, these islands have remarkable ecological recovery, with wildlife populations rebounding. Grytviken is also the final resting place of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. As you stand in the cemetery, you'll feel the emotional connection to this legendary character, as if history came alive. Visit his grave, learn about his famous expedition and make a toast, paying respects to the great explorer. Fortuna Bay is another possible landing site in South Georgia, subject to weather and ice conditions. Offering both teeming wildlife viewing and a wonderful panorama from its beach of jagged summit peaks and the remarkable expanse of the Konig Glacier, it is home to a large population of king penguin, Antarctic fur seal, elephant seal, brown skua, giant petrel, and Antarctic tern. This site's varying tundra and curious penguins and seal pups will likely provide some of the best pictures of your voyage. In Salisbury Plain, visit the world's second-largest king penguin colony, with more than 250,000 of them. The impressive sights and sounds that you will experience are beyond any photo or video. Be in awe before the amphitheater of snowcapped mountains looking down on the colony, as the penguins put on a show nesting, breeding, and molting on the shores. Large amounts of elephant and fur seals are also found along the 3-kilometer-long pebble beach, moving between the clusters of wildlife. The basin is framed by tussock-covered hills and bluffs on one side and the Bay of Isles on the other, but it's Grace Glacier and Lucas Glacier on each end that give Salisbury Plain its visual appeal. Another must see is the deserted whaling village of Stromness, the saving grace for Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions. After a grueling 36-hour hike through the South Georgia mountains, Shackleton was helped by the Norwegian whaling station manager at this remote outpost of civilization. Listen as your expert discovery team leader shares stories from the past as you admire the structures from afar. Discovery: Equipped with a fleet of custom-built Zodiacs and kayaks, your discovery excursions will take you to the places of you could only dream of before. ...
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