Walk in Shackleton’s footsteps and the world war on whales.

This day was a hard one emotionally for me. One there is elation to see Shackleton’s grave and walk the last 6km of his journey to safety and rescue. It was counterbalanced by seeing the remnants of a site devoted to the wholesale slaughter and processing of whales.

Paddling was a good way to start the day we see the macaroni penguins (or are they rock hoppers ? (I’m a hopeless birder, twitcher, whatever.) The area was so dynamic with mountains right at the sea, waterfalls and kelp reaching out in an attempt to entangle you.

The Shackleton walk was undertaken by a good portion of the passengers and some of the staff/crew. It was a 6km walk from Fortuna bay to Stromness whaling station. Perhaps the hardest part was contending with the aggressive fur seal sentries on the beach. We had to form a tight group with walking sticks presented like a mediaeval defensive shield as we walked up to the track. Even on the track there were occupants positioned like guerrillas in the shrubs.

Apparently “ Shackleton, Worsley and Crean began what would be the first confirmed land crossing of the South Georgia interior “ According to the book Shackleton by Roland Huntford “in intense excitement we watched the chronometer for seven o’clock when the whalers would be summoned to work. right to the minute the steam whistle came to us, borne clearly on the wind across the intervening miles of rock and snow.”

After doing this last bit of the walk I reckon Shackleton was a bit of an entertainer and stretched to the truth as those mountains in the photo where he was on there is an intervening mountain that we crossed. I wonder if anyone has tried to replicate "listen to the sound of a distant siren". Never let the truth get in the way of a good story as they say. On youtube there is a good documentary where Tim Jarvis replicated the whole Elephant island and South Georgia crossing and did not 100% succeed in the way Shackleton and his mates did. Tough, a high level of survival and commitment to his fellow men, Shackleton was a great leader.

Here it is grand with the mountainous and bay views. There is also great pleasure in looking at the small elements of beauty as in the alpine plant life.

A sweeping valley at the top of the pass leads us to Stromness, now an abandoned whaling station. There are a lot of river streams to cross.

The weather appropriately turned from a clear day to one of cloud and precipitation. we gather for a family snap before making our way down the precipitous rubble strewn slope.

A small a mount of snow was on the descent, not quite enough for a glissade.

I am not certain that Shackleton actually descended this waterfall as there was plenty of opportunity to seek an alternative route – another licence I reckon, but who is to tell ? I wasn’t there, fatigue can certainly obscure logical thought processes.

The Stromness whaling station is a junkyard. The seals and birdlife have appropriately taken over. How many defunct artefacts of the past do we need ? Especially in a special location such as South Georgia.

Even though it stopped in the early 1900s, the slaughter was too efficient and the population has not recovered to the numbers prior. I found it very tough to see the decomposing relics and leftover whale bones and museum artefacts – whew, it’s a challenge to remain composed.

I would like to see a complete return to nature by removal of all the whaling sites, though I admit that like the artefacts of the world wars, we do need the reminder of how seriously close we were to wiping out these beautiful creatures of the ocean to hopefully ensure there is no repeat.

Back to nature, the seals are still seals and penguins still penguins. Family squabbles, rivalry all there all continue despite the tragic reminder of man's doing.

We hop and ship and journey to Grytviken, the capital of south Georgia (not that there is many more towns). The governor greets us and checks our boots intently to ensure they are scrubbed meticulously before we land.

A tomb for an heroic adventurer, I am there !

and so is the rest of the passengers and Aurora staff, toasting his fame.

The James Caird, saviour of Shackleton’s journey from Elephant island. Probably in much better condition than the original. Lovely accommodation for 6 men on a rolling sea.