Molting gentoo penguin and fur seal — Grytviken, SGI.

Napping elephant seals — Grytviken, SGI.

Sleeping fur seal amid whaling station artifacts — Grytviken, SGI.

Elephant seal waking up to pose nicely — Grytviken, SGI.

Sleeping elephant seals — Grytviken, SGI.

Giant petrels and a skua amid whaling station artifacts — Grytviken, SGI.

Giant petrels feeding on the carcass of a fur seal — Grytviken, SGI.

Giant petrels feeding on a fur seal carcass — Grytviken, SGI.

Fur seals posing without a fuss — Grytviken, SGI.

Elephant seal napping in the water — Grytviken, SGI.

Fur seal and a whaling ship anchor — Grytviken, SGI.

Elephant seals napping away from the water — Grytviken, SGI.

RWSE Day 6: Grytviken … the Critters

February 16 in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ⋅ 🌧 39 °F

Yes, the last footprint had us leaving Grytviken on a zodiac. But how can I not post some photos of the wildlife 😊 So, here goes.

Compared to when we visited Grytviken in 2007, today there was a lot fewer wildlife to distract us from exploring the whaling station and the South Georgia Museum.

The wildlife here — not just the penguins and other birds, but the seals as well — have been heavily impacted by the avian flu. In fact, when we came ashore, the expedition guide who gave us our briefing, pointed out areas to stay clear of because there were animals that were showing symptoms of avian flu. The path to the cemetery, which was closed at the height of the epidemic due to large numbers of dead seals, was open today … an indication perhaps that the worst is now in the past.

Nonetheless, as we meandered around the station, we did find healthy critters that were happy to pose for us … intentionally or not.

(Word to the Wise: There is a video and a couple of photos of giant petrels feeding that might not be for the squeamish.)Read more