A little corner of Grytviken under a fresh blanket of snow – a sure sign that winter is on the way!
March got off to an exciting start in Grytviken, with the arrival of a handful of unexpected (but very welcome!) visitors. The day after we’d been discussing how incredible it would be to spot a leopard seal, one turned up on the shoreline close to the whaling station! It’s incredibly rare to see a leopard seal so far away from their familiar breeding grounds of pack ice at this time of year so this visitor received quite a crowd of fans. The spectators kept a very reasonable distance (and then some) – especially when the seal let out a big yawn bearing its reptile-like serrated teeth!
A juvenile leopard seal resting on the beach of Grytviken bay.
The unusual visit heralded the first of many interesting wildlife encounters. A week after the leopard seal drop-in, a crab eater seal (which are even rarer to see in South Georgia than leopard seals) decided to drop by and see what all the fuss was about in Grytviken. Then, not long after that, a Southern Right whale appeared right in Grytviken bay, much to the delight of the Wild Water Whale scientists based at the research station this season!
A rare sighting of a crab eater seal at Grytviken.
With the team due to depart the island at the end of the month, much of March was spent preparing the museum and the collection for the long winter ahead. Amongst other things, this involves putting many of our objects into ‘winter storage’ mode, which helps to protect them from changes in temperature, humidity and light levels over the next few months.
Curatorial Intern, Bodil, preparing museum objects for winter storage
Although the season was winding down, the South Georgia social calendar remained busy until the end and the annual regatta was foremost in the minds of the island’s competitive sailboat racers in March! There are only a few rules to the Gull Lake regatta, you must build a boat of whatever size, from whatever material, this hand-made boat is then raced across a small lake. Competitors don their wellies and are permitted to give their boat a little starting push. The rest is up to their craftsmanship – and the windspeed! This year was a stunning success, with Bob from the Government build team coming first place with his inflatable globe boat, World Voyager. Bodil, this year’s SGHT curatorial intern received a special award for her boat, Silver Albatross Navigator V, for her minimalist and effective design.
Bodil, holding her Regatta creation: Silver Albatross Navigator V.
Beyond the regatta, our final day of (life-size) ships drew ever closer as we marched through the month. We were all delighted to hear the Bark Europa would be one of our final ships of the season this year. As a tall ship, Europa cuts a striking figure in the bay and we always enjoy welcoming her lively crew of seasoned sailors. The historical bark marked the end of an incredibly busy season, where we welcomed 109 ships, greeted 15,520 visitors, delivered 66 fundraising presentations and guided 144 Whaling Station Tours.
Bark Europa floating majestically in Grytviken bay.
Dee and Livvie after finishing the final fundraising presentation of the season.
The weather certainly was changing as the days grew shorter and winter neared. Snow began to cover the ground, and the museum was soon adorned with icicles. However, we couldn’t leave without one final cuppa sat atop the mast, reminiscing over a fabulous season!
The SGHT team enjoying a cup of tea with company atop the mast laying in front of the museum.
On the day of our departure, our teary goodbyes were accompanied by a display of colour. The remaining British Antarctic Survey team conducted their sea flare training while our team pulled away from the jetty, making for a spectacular display as we waved goodbye. We also had the privilege of experiencing a very special sunset or two while aboard the Pharos SG, which provided our safe passage back to the UK.
‘Flare-well’ and goodbye from the British Antarctic Survey wintering team!
We’re signing off for now, but as Grytviken enters hibernation over austral winter, we leave with the promise of a new exciting season ahead: once the snow begins to thaw and the days begin to grow lighter once more. Until then, all the best wishes from us at the South Georgia Heritage Trust, and thank you for an unforgettable season!
Sunset aboard the Pharos SG on the passage northwards towards the Falkland Islands.