“the luxuries of civilization satisfy only those wants which they themselves create.”
― Apsley Cherry-Garrard, The Worst Journey in the World / Antarctica 1910-1913
As you can see from the map, we are moving down South Georgia with the idea that we have another day in South Georgia and then we’re headed for the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). The Intrepid staff is busy putting up lists of the available outings for the Falklands so we can sign up for them. We would still have another 2 days of sailing between South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, but they want to make sure everything is setup with the vendors. There’s a couple guided walks through town, depending on whether you’re interested in general history or more specifically the history of the war with Britain. There’s a walk along a beach that you can either hike to or take a bus. There’s an all-day ATV cross-country tour that promises more wildlife. If you already know how to surf, there’s a surfing expedition. But…
The weather is, we’re told, getting much worse. Outside of the sheltered harbours and bays we’ve been visiting, the seas are rough and the winds are high.
But that’s a worry for another day. This afternoon, we are going to Cooper Bay which is very exciting because there are rumors that we will see Macaroni penguins, a species of penguins that we’ve talked about, but not yet seen. In fact, the claim is that Cooper Bay is South Georgia’s only macaroni penguin colony accessible by land rather than by zodiac. But we’re not going ashore. The ocean swell is high and the beach looks small, like it’s not going to absorb a 100 people walking around. I believe the cruise ships that do go ashore here, move the passengers up a trail through the tussock grass to a spot that overlooks the Macaroni penguins. That you don’t tend to hang out on the beach that was thick with fur seals. So, I expect that we saw the Macaroni penguins from the zodiac as well as you would from the cliff.
Yet, in the last episode of this story, I was sitting there holding a non-functional telephoto lens. But you know what they say, the best camera is the camera you have with you. I have dealt with the focus filter falling out from the camera in Churchill, Manitoba, when I went to see the polar bears. I have dealt with my camera electronics getting slightly splashed in the Galapagos and going into constant firing mode. (That was the bowl of rice rescue. Don’t let them tell you that doesn’t work.) I had an underwater camera go to Valhalla in Micronesia. This is not the first time I’ve had condensation problems with a lens. I had a wide angle landscape lens and my iPhone. Take what you’ve got and get in the boat.
But please lower your expectations for today’s photos…
And to be honest, that landing looks a little slippery, doesn’t it?
But what this site had were these glorious, thick ropes of kelp, hypnotic to watch in the ocean swell. They twisted and weaved, sucked down one moment and flying in the air on the crest of a wave, the next. Fluid like the hair of a siren. Unbelievably beautiful.
And what’s so great about Macaroni penguins, (Eudyptes chrysolophus)? It’s the blond comb-over / topknot crest and the red eyes. I call them the super-villain penguins. And I know, like the song Yankee Doodle, it’s easy to get confused about the use of the word, macaroni, here. And it’s actually a very similar reference. Back in the day, you had to go to Italy to get macaroni pasta, so people who were familiar with macaroni were gentlemen who had done their grand tours of Europe. And after coming back from their grand tours, many a gentleman had become a bit of fashionista ― the right wig for afternoon tea, the right velvet lounging jacket, shiny shoe buckles. So, it was also a bit of a jab about someone a little preoccupied with appearances, a little too fabulous.
There are eleven-ish species of crested penguin (I’ll spare you the arguments about whether the royal penguin is a color morph of the Macaroni penguin) and the Macaroni penguin is the largest.
And then even more exciting, in the kelp field just off the penguin rookery, was a leopard seal.
Now if fur seals look like dog mermaids and elephant seals look like a young Jabba the Hut, leopard seals look like snakes. They have a triangular head with an enormous mouth full of big, sharp teeth. They’re big boys. And they get that way from eating penguins. They’re an alpha predator.
My kingdom for a telephoto lens…
But the good news is that when I made it back to the cabin at the end of the day, my telephoto lens had dried out and was working fabulously. Maybe this won’t be the last leopard seal. There is always tomorrow.