Right Whale Bay & Elsehul Bay, South Georgia

I thought it would be easier. I envisioned long articulate sentences designed to capture the essence of South Georgia. But when it came time to put fingers on the keyboard, I found myself strangely devoid of words. An odd feeling for someone who speaks for a living. What I’m left with is a series of moments: strong, vivid, and reminiscent. Moments full of sound and smell and color and feeling. Though hardly a comprehensive list, I hope these phrases evoke a lasting memory or perhaps a chord of curiosity for those who have never walked in our muddy boots.

  • Fur seal pups, snuffling
  • A chorus of kings
  • A snow white albatross on a windy hill
  • Radio antennas reaching out to kindred souls
  • Stately reindeer in a gallop
  • A diving petrel flying free
  • The yellows and oranges of sunrise beneath a pointed beak
  • Smelly elephant seals in a wallow
  • A nine pointed star upon a granite headstone
  • A four-hour rainbow
  • A line of red coats walking in historic footsteps
  • The pitter patter of penguin feet
  • A star-filled night on a rolling sea
  • Barnaby playing, “Georgia On My Mind”


Call it what you will; magical, overwhelming, vast, awe-inspiring, immeasurable, or perhaps life at its most bountiful. The Island of South Georgia is now a part of us. Remember what the actress/comedienne Mae West once said, “Too much of a good thing is......wonderful!”