Antarctic Adventure # 15 - Fortuna Bay to Stromness
By Susan Ellis of Keylifejourneys
The transformation of experience which can occur overnight is amazing. The day before I had been surrounded by the energy of death and cruelty, the rain clouds had hung low and Gritviken had been shrouded in its murky past. It had weighed heavy on my shoulders. But this day I awoke to a different mood, atmosphere and spirit. Yes, the sun was shining. But as we anchored in Fortuna Bay I felt a different history embracing me. King penguins swam around the ship; mountains rose up from turquoise waters below. This day I would meet the end of my Shackleton story.
Shackleton had taken 5 men on the 22ft boat from Point Wild on Elephant Island. They hoped to reach a whaling station on South Georgia to facilitate rescue of his stranded men. It took them 15 days to cross 800 miles of treacherous water, but they made it thanks to the skill of Frank Worsley, the Captain of their sunken Endurance. When they first saw the mountainous coastline of South Georgia they were kept from landing for another day because of hurricane force winds. When they did land it was on the uninhabited south shore. Leaving three men there, at King Haaken's Bay, Shackleton and two others traversed 22 miles of mountainous and glacial terrain to reach the north shore. It took 36 hours. They came to the beach at Fortuna Bay and realized it was the wrong Bay and had to climb up and over another headland. When they heard the whistle to call the first shift of whalers to work, they knew they had reached Stromness..
I had shared some of his experience. I had felt his energy in the tumultuous Weddell Sea. The same waters that had bared their teeth at me through gale force winds had captured his ship in ice and force it to float at its bidding; then crushed and sank it. I had sailed to Elephant Island where his three life boats landed and from where he set sail for South Georgia. I had just come from Gritviken where he had died and was buried. Now I was to see where he arrived with 2 others at the whaling station of Stromness.
After breakfast perhaps half of my fellow passengers went ashore in Fortuna Bay. They had chosen to hike the last 3.5 miles to Stromness. I did not go with them. I knew I would not be able to keep up the pace. I knew the path would be of moving stone. I was not sure footed. I did not waste time feeling as if I had missed out. I knew my rewards would be on the next beach.
We watched as their tiny specks start to climb up the 1,000ft hillside to disappear from sight .We up-anchored and sailed around the coast into the next bay. We passed the ruins of other whaling stations and finally anchored in front of Stromness with its unique rock face of z shaped layers of rock up thrust by massive earth motion in the past. Our zodiacs brought us to a pebbled beach through frothing waters teaming with energetic fur seals. A few penguins wandered around, the Kings miserably molting. We had to keep our distance from the ruins of Stromness. They have not been rendered safe, and metal flies in the wind as does asbestos from disintegrating buildings.
But all around are lush grasslands rising to snow capped peaks. A river running from the hills through the valley: herds of reindeer thriving controversially eating the grass and causing erosion. But they have been here 100 years. Are they not now indigenous? Their breeding cycle has changed to take advantage of the austral summer. Their ancestors bred in the northern hemisphere in April. These are the only reindeer in the world that breed in November. They were brought as food for the Norwegian Whalers. The herds have increased in size now that they are no longer hunted Reindeer and penguins all in the same vista.
We took a leisurely hike, following the river towards the hills at the far end of the valley. Ahead above us we could see a waterfall - and pin prick people - our Polar Star Party had passed Shakleton's waterfall and were coming down the valley.
It was a hot day in South Georgia. The breeze was caressingly warm, the sunlight so bright that sunglasses were a must. Colors were more vivid that day than I saw throughout the trip. Every shade of blue to turquoise in the water, the sky with fascinating unique cloud patterns, the geological history, the human history and amid the mounds of grass, colonies of penguins, a lone stag lying on a hillside
There was rusting metal from the huge machines used by the whalers and also clean fresh air. I had time to stand and take it all in, my shirt sleeves rolled up. My feet were firmly planted on some of the most beautiful earth in the world. I was firm, not rocking. It was like a rewarding silence. No where near the creaking of a tortured ship or the vibrating crash into an up swelling wave. It was a reprieve. I did not want to leave. Even the fur seal pups seemed lovable, more interested it seemed in showing off their swimming skills that testing out their man hood on us. It was a day of perfection where the built up stress evaporates and if one is capable of living in the moment, one can experienced every last second of it's reality.
There was only one moment with a down turn. I got back to the beach and realized that in my joy of unloading clothes and photographing with my tripod, I had inadvertently left my backpack somewhere on my route. I told our beach master that I would retrace my steps to find it. He got on his radio to his back up who like a sheepdog was bringing up the rear and ensuring everyone was herded back to the beach. They had spotted my pack and were bringing it back. I must admit I felt a fool - one more doddery grey haired lady…But the moment of self reprimand past and reluctantly I put on my life jacket and waded out into the still waters filled with seals, and threw myself into the zodiac. We went back to the ship for lunch. Good bye Sir Ernest Shackleton. You have been with me a long time. Now I can bid adieu.
The transformation of experience which can occur overnight is amazing. The day before I had been surrounded by the energy of death and cruelty, the rain clouds had hung low and Gritviken had been shrouded in its murky past. It had weighed heavy on my shoulders. But this day I awoke to a different mood, atmosphere and spirit. Yes, the sun was shining. But as we anchored in Fortuna Bay I felt a different history embracing me. King penguins swam around the ship; mountains rose up from turquoise waters below. This day I would meet the end of my Shackleton story.
Shackleton had taken 5 men on the 22ft boat from Point Wild on Elephant Island. They hoped to reach a whaling station on South Georgia to facilitate rescue of his stranded men. It took them 15 days to cross 800 miles of treacherous water, but they made it thanks to the skill of Frank Worsley, the Captain of their sunken Endurance. When they first saw the mountainous coastline of South Georgia they were kept from landing for another day because of hurricane force winds. When they did land it was on the uninhabited south shore. Leaving three men there, at King Haaken's Bay, Shackleton and two others traversed 22 miles of mountainous and glacial terrain to reach the north shore. It took 36 hours. They came to the beach at Fortuna Bay and realized it was the wrong Bay and had to climb up and over another headland. When they heard the whistle to call the first shift of whalers to work, they knew they had reached Stromness..
I had shared some of his experience. I had felt his energy in the tumultuous Weddell Sea. The same waters that had bared their teeth at me through gale force winds had captured his ship in ice and force it to float at its bidding; then crushed and sank it. I had sailed to Elephant Island where his three life boats landed and from where he set sail for South Georgia. I had just come from Gritviken where he had died and was buried. Now I was to see where he arrived with 2 others at the whaling station of Stromness.
After breakfast perhaps half of my fellow passengers went ashore in Fortuna Bay. They had chosen to hike the last 3.5 miles to Stromness. I did not go with them. I knew I would not be able to keep up the pace. I knew the path would be of moving stone. I was not sure footed. I did not waste time feeling as if I had missed out. I knew my rewards would be on the next beach.
We watched as their tiny specks start to climb up the 1,000ft hillside to disappear from sight .We up-anchored and sailed around the coast into the next bay. We passed the ruins of other whaling stations and finally anchored in front of Stromness with its unique rock face of z shaped layers of rock up thrust by massive earth motion in the past. Our zodiacs brought us to a pebbled beach through frothing waters teaming with energetic fur seals. A few penguins wandered around, the Kings miserably molting. We had to keep our distance from the ruins of Stromness. They have not been rendered safe, and metal flies in the wind as does asbestos from disintegrating buildings.
There was rusting metal from the huge machines used by the whalers and also clean fresh air. I had time to stand and take it all in, my shirt sleeves rolled up. My feet were firmly planted on some of the most beautiful earth in the world. I was firm, not rocking. It was like a rewarding silence. No where near the creaking of a tortured ship or the vibrating crash into an up swelling wave. It was a reprieve. I did not want to leave. Even the fur seal pups seemed lovable, more interested it seemed in showing off their swimming skills that testing out their man hood on us. It was a day of perfection where the built up stress evaporates and if one is capable of living in the moment, one can experienced every last second of it's reality.
There was only one moment with a down turn. I got back to the beach and realized that in my joy of unloading clothes and photographing with my tripod, I had inadvertently left my backpack somewhere on my route. I told our beach master that I would retrace my steps to find it. He got on his radio to his back up who like a sheepdog was bringing up the rear and ensuring everyone was herded back to the beach. They had spotted my pack and were bringing it back. I must admit I felt a fool - one more doddery grey haired lady…But the moment of self reprimand past and reluctantly I put on my life jacket and waded out into the still waters filled with seals, and threw myself into the zodiac. We went back to the ship for lunch. Good bye Sir Ernest Shackleton. You have been with me a long time. Now I can bid adieu.
Posted by Key Life Journey's Blog at 2/6/2009 2:53 PM 
Categories: Antarctica, South Georgia
Tags: King Haaken's Bay Stromness fur seals Ernest Shackleton king penguins Fortuna Bay reindeer
Categories: Antarctica, South Georgia
Tags: King Haaken's Bay Stromness fur seals Ernest Shackleton king penguins Fortuna Bay reindeer
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