Why Visit South Georgia On Your Antarctica Cruise

While it’s often described as ‘the Galapagos of the Southern Ocean’, South Georgia Island is simply unlike anywhere else. The remote and rugged destination of South Georgia is a British Overseas Territory, but its location places it firmly within the Antarctic region - making it an ideal addition to your Antarctic cruise.

Many longer Antarctic cruise itineraries will visit not just the Antarctic continent itself, but also South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, as they all share a relative geographical proximity. If your schedule and budget allow, including South Georgia in your Antarctica trip is something you definitely won’t regret.

Why visit South Georgia on your Antarctica cruise? Simply put, it’s one of the best places in the world to observe Polar wildlife, but it also offers incredibly unique history, dramatic landscapes, and epic photography opportunities.

Here’s why South Georgia is well worth an addition to your Antarctic small ship cruise. 

South Georgia is home to the world’s largest king penguin colonies

One of the best reasons to visit South Georgia is to observe its vast king penguin colonies. As the second-largest penguin species, the iconic king penguins start life as small brown balls of fluff before molting and growing into the svelte black, white, and orange plumage sported by the adults.

St Andrews Bay attracts king penguins in the hundreds of thousands, while Gold Harbour and Salisbury Plain are also home to huge breeding colonies.

Why is South Georgia so attractive to king penguins? This island is perfectly positioned on the Antarctic convergence, where warmer and cooler waters meet. This brings a steady food supply of krill and shrimp for the penguins.

The beaches of South Georgia are also predominantly ice and snow-free, and the habitats of the island are all protected, free from humans. King penguins have a long breeding cycle of 13-16 months, so young chicks can almost always be seen here. Thanks to safe breeding grounds and a huge food supply, you can imagine why so many king penguins are found on the beaches of South Georgia! 

On your South Georgia cruise, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to observe king penguins from a safe distance. They’re loud, beautiful, and unique - a wildlife experience you’ll never forget.

One of the best places in the world to see elephant seals is South Georgia Island

In addition to penguins, South Georgia is also home to the planet’s largest population of southern elephant seals. They also come to the island for breeding, and you’re sure to be impressed by these unique creatures.

Named elephant seals because the males have a large, trunk-like snout, early season travel to South Georgia is the best time to observe the larger males fighting on land for dominance, complete with loud vocalisations and aggressive behaviours.

The fights are incredible to observe and elephant seals are one of the most amazing species to see in South Georgia. However, many other seal species also call South Georgia home, including Antarctic fur, Weddell, crabeater, and leopard.

Wildlife and epic landscapes make South Georgia a dream destination for photographers

If you enjoy photography, you’ll definitely want to add South Georgia to your Antarctic itinerary. While Antarctica itself is also amazing for photographers, South Georgia features different landscapes, featuring greenery, dramatic cliffs and mountains, and historic whaling structures.

South Georgia features an incredible density of wildlife not found anywhere else, creating so many National Geographic-style nature photography opportunities.

What unique wildlife can be seen in South Georgia? Despite its small location, you can find an incredible density of wildlife, including chinstrap, gentoo, and macaroni penguins, humpback, fin, and southern right whales, and many bird species. There are no land mammals or reptiles, which means the bird and penguin species are free from the risk of predation.

Observe wandering albatrosses in vast numbers

South Georgia is also a top destination for Antarctic birding, particularly albatrosses. It is an important breeding location for the wandering albatross, particularly Prion Island. As this location is a protected breeding site, your expedition crew will go over the requirements for visiting to ensure the chicks aren’t disturbed by the presence of humans. The fluffy grey and white chicks will grow into the adult wandering albatross, with the longest wingspan of any bird in the world.

There is a boardwalk built for visitors, but as you walk along, you may see more than just the majestic albatross, as fur seals also enjoy sunning themselves on the boardwalk!

South Georgia has a strong historical significance

While today South Georgia is a vital location for wildlife and environmental conservation, it has a history as a major whaling and sealing hub from the early to mid-1900s. At the time, whale oil was in high demand, and South Georgia was the world capital for whaling, decimating population numbers.

Luckily, this practice ended in South Georgia in the mid-1960s, and whale numbers have recovered, but you can still see the remains of several historic sealing and whaling stations.

Visit the Norwegian outpost of Grytviken

Your South Georgia expedition cruise will visit the village of Grytviken, the island’s largest settlement. It became the first permanent whaling station in South Georgia in 1904 and has a strong Norwegian influence, being first settled by Norwegian captain Carl Anton Larsen.

On your expedition, you can visit Grytviken Church, built in the wooden Norwegian style, and the South Georgia Museum, a small but fascinating collection of historical records and artifacts.

Many visitors to Grytviken also visit the Grytviken Cemetery, the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton and other explorers and whalers. Renowned Antarctic explorer Shackleton passed away on board his ship, Quest, while it was anchored in Grytviken in 1922.

Your expedition crew will also provide onboard lectures on relevant topics like the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, helping you learn more about the places you visit as you cruise.

Be inspired by the glaciers, ice, and snowy mountains that form South Georgia’s landscapes

One of the best reasons to visit South Georgia is simply to soak up all of its beauty. Admire the grandeur of the island’s rugged Salvesen and Allardyce mountain ranges, epic fjords, and lush green mosses and vegetation, creating such a unique landscape that isn’t found anywhere else.

You can compare and contrast the landscapes of South Georgia with those of Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, painting a comprehensive picture of the diversity and natural landmarks that make up the Antarctic region as a whole.

If you have questions about planning the best South Georgia cruise from Australia, the US, or anywhere else, our experienced team is here to help. Please reach out with any questions or to book your Antarctic, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands cruise with Chimu Adventures.