Inclement weather had everything to do with today’s visit to the South Orkney Islands. Located in the southeast portion of the Scotia Sea, 375 miles to the northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula, Coronation Island is the largest of the South Orkney Island group. Given the name by 17th century sealer James Weddell for its correspondingly southern latitude to the Orkney Islands of 60°N, the South Orkneys are inhospitable, rarely accessible, but certainly a remarkable alternative to the bad weather we would have had to endure if we stayed one day longer on South Georgia Island.
With the understanding that a weather-related diversion to the Orkney’s is rarely attempted, the ship’s company seemed to buzz with anticipation as we approached the south-central portion of Coronation Island early this morning. Veiled, then unveiled, the outline of this isolated refuge slowly took form as we approached through the early morning fog.
It has been over three years since National Geographic Explorer has set course for the South Orkney Islands. That last visit was late in the season (February) when much of the snow had melted from its flanks and this small island group appeared much different from today. What we found today was a snow-covered, knife-edged landscape crawling with chinstrap penguins. Just arriving from a winter at sea, the shores of this rocky coastline were alive with chinstraps trying to find last year’s nest site under all the winter’s snow.
Anchoring in Marshall Bay we took to our Zodiacs for a closer look at the coastline and its inhabitants. In addition to all our new chinstrap friends (and no doubt because of them) there was no shortage of leopard seals in the water. On the hunt for penguins these massive (9-11ft.) southern ocean inhabitants provided no lack of entertainment as they swam beneath our boats, surfaced around their favorite icebergs or grabbed, thrashed, then ate numerous unfortunate penguins.
Much credit must be given to the captain and expedition leader on this trip for the foresight to cut our South Georgia itinerary short with the hope that seas ahead would be kind and allow for such a remarkable day as was had on the sunny shores of the South Orkney Islands.
