South Georgia Island: A Magical Wonderland

White Fur Seal Pup - ©Nathan Williams

Of all the places that I've seen in the world South Georgia stands above them all. A mentor of mine said that if he found out that he had two weeks to live, he would spend the first week traveling to South Georgia and the last week exploring the island. The uniqueness of this island is without words to describe. The mountains rise out of the ocean high above the Atlantic in the middle of the vast ocean. Unlike so many other places in Antarctica, South Georgia has green shrubs, grasses and mosses on land that stand out against the glaciers high above and the snow capped mountains. The sight of the island is as beautiful as any place in the world, with the added backdrop of mammoth icebergs dotting the coastline and the ocean behind you.

King Penguins along the shore of Gold Harbor, South Georgia - ©Nathan Williams

Some of the highlights that you see on South Georgia are animals like King Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Rockhopper Penguins, Elephant Seals and of course the thousands of fur Seals dotting the shore. This place is like an adventure through a National Geographic documentary. The feelings you get from experiencing the wildlife is indescribable. Walking along the shores of South Georgia interacting with the energetic fur seals is nothing short of a dream like world. I have to continually remind myself that this is reality when I'm walking along witnessing this amazing and beautiful landscape.

Gentoos and Fur Seals on the beach near Godthul, South Georgia - ©Nathan Williams

The main locations to visit on the island of South Georgia are Stromness, Salisbury Plain, Gritvicken, and Gold Harbor. There are a number of other sites that may be available to visit while on your trip as well. The history of this area is mainly concerned with the sealing and whaling industries. The sites you will visit are either going to be history focused or animal focused. Even the historical sites will have animals as well and in large numbers, just with the added scenery of old rusted metal buildings and a story to tell.

Young Elephant Seal on the Rocky Shore of Gold Harbor, South Georgia - ©Nathan Williams

Anybody who truly desires adventure, truly desires experiencing something extraordinary, something totally unique should plan a trip to South Georgia. It is one of the most difficult places to reach in this world. There are no flights that take you out to South Georgia, the best chance you will have is to sign up for an Expedition style cruise. The regulations to get to South Georgia are strict to say the least. This island is one of the most coveted and heavily protected wildlife reserves in the world. An expedition style cruise will take care of all of the details, the regulations and the licenses in order to land on this Eden of an island.