Bounding from one side of the corridor to the other is a prime opportunity to find your sea legs. Those of us who walked the gauntlet of the Deck 4 corridor today can attest to this. Ambling along as lithely as we pretended we could be (until we realized we are all in the same boat here and actually we all look a bit silly stuttering from one side of the corridor to the other), we carried our outerwear towards the lounge in preparation for South Georgia Decontamination Procedures.
This may sound rather serious – and in many ways it is. The South Georgia Decontamination Procedure is our way of ensuring we do not introduce non-native plant or animal matter to South Georgia. This remote outpost in the Southern Ocean is one of Earth’s most spectacular wilderness and wildlife destinations and as such we are happy to embark on any effort to keep it that way.
So how is decontamination achieved? Do we need to erect large decontamination tents and spray each individual down one by one? No: All it takes is a vacuum, a brush and some special bleach. And a keen eye to spot those little grass seeds buried in the depths of your Velcro! Piling into the lounge on Deck 4 we turned right for vacuuming stations and left for boot stations. One hour later each and every one of us could rest assured – when it comes to stepping ashore in South Georgia we won’t be introducing any species liable to disrupt the imposing yet delicate environment that is South Georgia.
The imposing disposition South Georgia conjures up on our minds is not least due to the efforts of Earnest Shackleton and his men during their epic trek for survival across this foreboding mountainous island in 1916. Today was an opportunity to hear more from Gabriella about the events Shackleton and his men endured both before, during and after this enthralling expedition. Today was also a chance to hear from one of our on-board Shackleton Trekkers, none other than Peter Hillary himself. Listening to some of the adventures Peter and his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, have had over the years proved fascinating and as we sailed ever closer towards our destination of South Georgia the scene was being set for us in remarkable fashion.
With the sea smoothing out more and more as the hours of the afternoon passed into the evening we reconvened in the Bar and Lounge for our first Recap of the trip as National Geographic Orion sailed ever closer to South Georgia. While enjoying the hospitality of the Bar Staff we sipped our drinks and listened intently to a number of insightful snippets of information from the past few days. From Falkland’s vernacular to the underwater world of the West Falklands, everyone enjoys a chance to hear more about the fascinating destinations we are visiting. And of course, we also need to know what the weather forecast is for tomorrow. Our sea legs are ready!
Making History in South Georgia
Right now in South Georgia a bold team of alpinists including Peter Hillary, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, Jeremy Lindblad, Guy Cotter, and Devlin Gandy is being dropped off by National Geographic Orion to attempt a traverse of this sub-Antarctic island. The climb, conceived by Sven Lindblad as the finale to our 100th anniversary season celebrating Ernest Shackleton, will follow the route that legendary explorer hiked while rescuing every member of his crew. Follow our team’s progress as they hike across the island to National Geographic Explorer, and see a live interview them on Facebook just after they complete the trek. Also, look forward to seeing one of Earth’s greatest wildlife spectacles broadcast live on Facebook—a vast king penguin colony!
