South Georgia (Part 1) / South Georgia (Part 1)

It takes two days from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia. Neptune is kind to us, and our ship rocks only moderately, with seasickness being a foreign word. Along the way, we see our first iceberg and some whales ... all just a prelude: South Georgia is our main destination for this journey. Accordingly, the disappointment is great when we are not allowed to land at the second-largest king penguin colony (in Salisbury Plain) - there are apparently too many dead animals lying around due to avian flu, making it impossible to adhere to the distancing rules. The Zodiac shore excursion that we do instead is merely a poor substitute.

In the afternoon, we have a smaller 'KöPi' colony (in Fortuna Bay) on the agenda, which can also have its advantages. There are also dead animals lying around here (mostly seal pups), but the density of animals is not as high, so we can go ashore here. While we are no longer allowed to go right into the colonies - as was previously permitted - we can get up to 10 meters close, and the animals coming from and going to the sea come much closer - a fantastic experience, and by the end of the day, we are reconciled.

By the way, the panorama was spectacular at both locations, especially in sunshine and blue skies.

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It takes two days from the Falklands to South Georgia, and Neptune is still a friend of ours: Only moderate winds and gentle waves provide us with a smooth ride, and seasickness is far away. We see our first iceberg of the trip, and a number of whales … but that's only the overture: South Georgia is the main target of this trip for us. Unfortunately, it doesn't start well: The first stop here - Salisbury Plain, the second-largest king penguin colony - cannot be visited, as there are too many dead animals to meet the distance requirements due to avian flu. We do a Zodiac ride in front of the beach here, but this is not at all like a land visit.

In the afternoon, we visit Fortuna Bay with a much smaller colony of king penguins, which in this case has some advantages: There are also some dead animals, but there's enough space here to maintain distance, and we are allowed to go ashore. The rules for visits are becoming stricter each year, so it is no longer possible to walk directly through the colony; we must keep a distance of 10 meters, but individual penguins coming in or out come much closer. In the end, we are satisfied with this day.

The scenery, by the way, was fantastic at both locations, with snow, ice, glaciers against a backdrop of blue and sunny sky ...