MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ten cruise vessels, yachts and RN vessels visit South Georgia

Ten cruise ships visited South Georgia Island in March, the last month of the main tourist season. According to SGIsland News Alert these included the unusual and beautiful 38-passenger sailing ship “Bark Europa” and one ship had a expedition group aboard who successfully completed the Shackleton Crossing from King Haakon Bay to Stromness.

Visitor numbers this month were boosted by the crews of three military vessels, “HMS Clyde”, “HMS Manchester” and “RFA Black Rover” and four yachts were also around the island in March.

A toothfish longliner was inspected and licensed on March 18th before sailing to join the one other vessel in the South Sandwich Islands fishing area. The other vessel completed its TAC there before the end of the month.

Meanwhile “HMS Clyde” completed her third patrol of South Georgia. The ship spent five days patrolling the Island in a visit described as “far more spectacular as anyone had expected.“ The vessel arrived in KE Cove on March 9th and berthed for two days at the KEP jetty, giving the ship’s company the opportunity to explore Grytviken.

For many of the ship’s company it was a first visit to the Island and for others it was a return after many years. Mr George Jameson, an ex RN engineer aboard, remembered visiting Grytviken in the years directly after the Falklands conflict when “you could just walk in as if the whalers had left yesterday: tools still in the racks, and stores in the cupboards”.

The vessel sailed on March 11th to land a shore party at Fortuna Bay to do the Shackleton walk to Stromness where they were picked up before the ship sailed on to Gold Harbour. Here the crew marvelled at the sight of a beach packed with wildlife against the dramatic backdrop of the over-hanging Bertrab Glacier.

More dramatic scenery ensued as the ship threaded a careful passage up the Drygalski Fjord. Plunging rock faces dripping with glaciers surrounded the ship as huge icebergs cluttered the water. Drifting fog and cloud lent the entire scene an ethereal air and added to the sense of awe.

Picking its way through the ice along the south coast of South Georgia ”HMS Clyde” made a brief visit to King Haakon Bay, conducting a recce by seaboat of Rosita Harbour, the site of Shackleton’s landing in 1916, before finally calling at Bird Island.

Source: South Georgia & South Sandwich Is.