South Georgia October 2019
South Georgia sailing and sea kayaking expedition
October 5th – November 2nd 2019
Elephant seals fighting – By Anne Dirkse (www.annedirkse.com)
I’m excited to tell you about an incredible, rare opportunity to explore the seldom-visited sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia by kayak and yacht, observing the greatest density of wildlife on the planet. 7 million penguins, a quarter of a million albatrosses, half of the world’s elephant seals and 95% of the world’s fur seals congregate on South Georgia. It’s the world’s most important penguin and seabird breeding site with an estimated population of 30 million birds.
Awe-inspiring scenery ranges from 7,000-foot Mountains and mighty glaciers to deep fjords and low-lying grassland.
It’s rich history includes the rusty and ghostly remains of several whaling stations and the grave of Ernest Shackleton, who made his perilous ocean crossing from Elephant Island to South Georgia a century ago.
Most cruise ships visit South Georgia for a maximum of 4 days with limited kayaking opportunities. 5 lucky sea kayakers will spend a month on board our 61 foot yacht, sailing to and from South Georgia and spending over 2 weeks kayaking and exploring this ‘Galapagos of the Poles’. We will have the opportunity to camp on South Georgia, as well as sleep on the heated yacht. On this very personal trip, 2 highly experienced sea kayak guides and 2 sailing crew make up the full team of 9 people on board. Boreal Design single kayaks and kayaking equipment, all food*, drink, permits and expedition fees are covered by the trip fee.
Weather dependant, highlights will include,
*Visiting St Andrews Bay & Salisbury Plain, the most famous penguin colonies on South Georgia, both with over 200,000 king penguins standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the dramatic backdrop of black sand beaches, tussock covered dunes and snow covered mountains. The chicks spend an amazing 14months on land before they are ready to swim.
* 3 tonne elephant seals! Watching the big boys battling it out is our skippers’ number 1 highlight of his many Antarctic visits. This is the prime time of year when pups are being born. It’s a spectacle for the eyes and ears.
*Wandering, black-browed, light mantled sooty and grey headed albatrosses nest in South Georgia. At Prion island, we can walk to nesting wandering albatross sites along boardwalks. At this time of year, they should have small chicks. The chicks alone can be up to a metre tall!
*Fin whales, orcas, humpbacks, southern right whales and blue whales can be found in the nutrient-rich waters around South Georgia. We may be blessed with extended views of them!
*Paddling into the historic King Haakon Bay where Shackleton and his men made landfall in their small lifeboat, the James Caird, after completing the 800 mile (1300km) ocean crossing from Elephant Island.
*At Stromness, see the rusty remains of the whaling station and follow in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s footsteps and hike the last 6km of this heroic journey across South Georgia from Fortuna Bay.
*Visiting Grytviken- we can explore the museum and church at the largest of the old whaling stations and visit the gravesite of Sir Ernest Shackleton.
*Camping with a ring side view of the animal behaviour, particularly awesome at the King Penguin colonies.
Your Guides: This trip is unique in that we have 2 kayak guides, giving a great ratio of 2 to 5 on the water. Justine Curgenven has paddled all over the world and guided 2 previous month-long trips to the Antarctic peninsula with the Spirit of Sydney. JF Marleau has been guiding and teaching for 21 years and holds the highest possible guide and instructor qualifications in Canada. Both hold a current advanced wilderness first aid qualification.
The Yacht:
The 60 foot aluminium hulled ‘Spirit of Sydney’ has crossed the Drake Passage 50 times. She’s a seaworthy vessel that can handle rough waters when necessary. On board, there’s a kitchen, toilet, shower, storage areas, 2 heaters, plenty of tasty food, and accommodation for the 9 of us. More information about the yacht is here.
The food on the yacht is excellent with fresh fruit and vegetables lasting to the end of our trip in February 2017. Famous Argentinian steaks, fish, shrimp, chicken and fresh bread are also on the menu with plenty of staples, hot drinks and snacks. Ample soft drinks, beer and wine are provided to accompany evening meals. Ice is often available floating by when required!
Climate:
South Georgia is in the South Atlantic ocean. It has a polar climate due to the proximity of the Antarctic current. This keeps the seas cold throughout the year (approx. 2 degrees C in October). Icebergs are common, large icebergs travel all the way up from the Weddell Sea. The prevailing winds are westerly with mountain winds blowing straight up the western side and down the eastern side. The air is warmed and dried during this process making the East side of the island more sheltered and warmer. Temperatures in October are usually between -2 and 8 degrees C, warmest on the east side.
Landing can be tricky, especially on the exposed West side of the island. This combined with the cold climate and the winds make this a challenging trip. We are looking for experienced kayakers to enjoy this unparalleled opportunity to explore this wildlife paradise.
Itinerary:
We’ll start and finish in Stanley, in the Falkland islands. We’ll familiarise ourselves with the yacht, kayaks and kayaking kit then set sail for South Georgia. It usually takes 4-6 days to reach the stunning island. Albatross, petrels and dolphins will keep us company. Once in South Georgia, we’ll spend a little over 2 weeks exploring the incredible bays, and taking in all the amazing wildlife. We will offer kayaking most days although the yacht will always be nearby for anyone not wanting to paddle. There will be opportunities to hike on land, visit the museum and whaling stations, sit and enjoy the wildlife and to camp. We don’t know of any other company who offers this long to enjoy and explore South Georgia – especially by single kayak!
At the end of a wonderful exploration, we’ll sail back to the Falklands. There may be a day or two to enjoy exploring the Falkland islands, especially if the weather forecast causes us to leave late, or come back early.
Cost: US $ 19,500 per person, payable in instalments.
Includes: All permits and fees, food and alcohol on board the yacht, hire of kayak, spray deck, paddle, pogies, PFD, crew and guides.
Doesn’t include: Transport to and from Stanley in the Falkland islands, accommodation in Stanley, personal insurance.
Kayaks & Kit: The kayaks are mostly Boreal Desgins Epsilon P100, P200 & P300s. There are also some Boreal Designs Baffins. There are Werner paddles, Kokatat PFDs, Seals sprayskirts, Pogies, Pumps and some tents available for use at no extra cost. There are a limited number of Drysuits available for hire.
Pre-requesites: This trip is for intermediate to advanced kayakers. You should be able to maintain a speed of 3 knots for 6 hours and be comfortable in winds of up to 20 knots.
Small Print: If the trip does not fill by December 2018 then we reserve the right to cancel the trip and give everyone a full refund of any money paid so far. We feel confident that we will fill the trip, but we can’t guarantee that.
Interested?: Initially contact Justine at justine -at –cackletv.com. Justine can answer any questions you may have and ultimately put you in touch with Darrel, the skipper of Spirit of Sydney, who will answer questions about the sailing aspect and take payment.
FACTS ABOUT SOUTH GEORGIA
South Georgia is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and inspiring places on earth. 800 miles away from the nearest land, it’s is 165 kilometres long and up to 35 km wide with no permanent population. Captain Cook made the first landing in 1775 and claimed the territory for Great Britain. Seal hunting began in 1786 and whaling followed in the early 1900s. The populations were decimated by the time hunting stopped in the 1960s but the seal population has rebounded remarkably with 2 million fur seals and 500,000 elephant seals now congregating on the island’s beaches. We are visiting in October because by November, it’s hard to land safely on the beaches because of the concentration of aggressive fur seals.
With the end of the whaling industry, the stations were abandoned. Apart from a few preserved buildings such as the museum and church at Grytviken, only their decaying remains survive.
South Georgia is a British Overseas Territory. The present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey and museum staff at Grytviken. Argentina claimed South Georgia in 1927, which contributed to the 1982 Falklands War, during which Argentine forces briefly occupied the island. Argentina continues to claim sovereignty.
SHACKLETON
In April 1916, Ernest Shackleton’s Trans Antarctic Expedition became stranded in ice on Elephant island, 800 miles (1,300 km) southwest of South Georgia. Shackleton and five companions set out in a small boat to summon help, and on 10 May, after an epic voyage, they landed at King Haakon Bay on South Georgia’s south coast. While three stayed at the coast, Shackleton and two others went on to cover 22 miles (35 km) over the spine of the mountainous island to reach help at Stromness whaling station. The remaining 22 members of the expedition, who had stayed on Elephant Island, were subsequently rescued. In January 1922, during a later expedition Shackleton died on board ship while moored in King Edward Cove, South Georgia. He is buried at Grytviken.
South Georgia parts the clouds! Image by NASA
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