South Georgia II: Prion Island / Grytviken

10 January
Prion Island landing (7:30 am)

Prion Island, first charted in 1912-13 by an American naturalist, is now a wildlife preserve owing to its rat-free status. Our ship was granted exceptional permission to call there, owing to the albatross nesting; also fur seals at all stages of life.


Grytviken landing (3:30 pm)
hike to Maiviken

Our visit to the Norwegian whaling town of Grytviken began at the Whaler's Cemetery and Shackleton's gravesite. Elephant seals in abundance; the South Georgia Museum (souvenirs and postcards mailed). Hikers walked across the top to Maiviken, where the ship called at sunset to pick them up. Active snow had slacked off about the time we landed.