Wanderlust UK – September 2019

(Axel Boer) #1
DIDYOU
KNOW?
Famousexplorer
ErnestShackleton
isburiednearby
inGrytviken–you
canlearnmore
abouthisepic
adventuresatthe
localmuseum.

H


adCaptainCookcome
acrossSouthGeorgia’s
SalisburyPlaintoday,
hisinitialverdict–that
theislandwasnot
worththediscovery–wouldbe
alittledi‹erent.Inthepenguin
capitaloftheworld,hundredsof
thousandsofkingpenguinswould
royallygreethim,paradingdown
thetightlypackedshore.

Theonlywayintothispenguin
paradiseisviasub-Antarcticcruises.
HeadtoshoreinZodiaccrafts
toexplorethewindsweptGrace
andLucasGlaciersandmeetthe
three-foot-tallthrongofsquawking
orange-billedbirdsontheteeming
beachesthattheyseemingly
monopolise–thoughsharp-eyed
visitorscanalsoglimpsefurseals
andalbatrosses.

VisitfromNovembertoMarch
forafront-rowtickettotheking
penguin’sbreedingperformance.
EggsarelaidinNovember,and
youcanseethechickshatchfrom
aroundJanuary,moultingabout
sixweekslater.Andwhilevisitors
mustnotapproachSalisburyPlain’s
famousfeatheredoccupants,
thepenguinsthemselveshaven’t
necessarilyhadthesamememo.

Penguins, South Georgia


Penguin capital
Hundreds of
thousands of king
penguins congregate
on South Georgia’s
Salisbury Plain

Getty Images

54° 3′ S, 37° 21′ W


162 wanderlust.co.uk September 2019

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