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During the whaling era, in the early 1900s, the first government Magistrate took the advice from the whaling companies and made several recommendations to install various lights, beacons and a bell buoy to aid navigation around South Georgia. All of these were installed and maintained by the whaling companies, as part of their lease requirements.

Lights were placed to aid several navigation issues:

  1. Coastal for colliers and transports
  2. Guiding into bays
  3. Guiding to anchorage
Lighthouse at Jason Island in 2018. Credit: South Georgia Museum

Over the years, 8 lights, excluding those inside the harbours, were added – Cape Crewe, Cape Saunders, Jason Island, Sappho Point, King Edward Cove, Long Point (later moved to Right Whale Rocks), Hatten and Penguin Point.

Jason Island and Right Whale rocks were still working in 1959 but by 1974 all piers, buoys and other navigational aids were closed. Some remains of lights and beacons erected during the whaling years can still be found as part of the heritage of the island. The remains of a lighthouse and a Direction-Finding Station can still be seen on Jason Island.

While lighthouses still act as a secondary guide to seafarers around coastlines of the world, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), nautical charts and smaller lighted navigations aids and buoys guide modern mariners. On South Georgia today, only the navigation lights at King Edward Point now function, guiding ships into the safe harbour of King Edward Cove at night.

Grytviken Harbour Lights – follow the red ones in until the green ones are in line then follow them into the cove. Credit: South Georgia Museum

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