Photos: The Last from South Georgia

Here is the final installment of photos from our time on South Georgia.

Porter, doing his best Vanna White imitation, is thrilled about the half mutton that our friend Dave gave us. Following his lead, we hung it on the poop deck and then carved off pieces to create three delicious mutton dinners: tenderloin, stew, and curry.

 This photo barely helps you realize just how large the nesting wandering albatross is.

   Porter and Jack went on a dinghy adventure in Elephant Lagoon and found themselves being stalked by this elephant seal

 Part of what made our time in Elephant Lagoon memorable was the afternoon that we had williwaws howling down off the nearby slopes. This is what it looks like when it is blowing 50+ knots while at anchor. Sila is heeled about as much as when we are beating to windward.

 Jack drove us out of Elephant Lagoon. The shore was equally close on the other side, so it was like running the gauntlet between all of the barking fur seals.

 We enjoyed watching this right whale near Sila for a few minutes

 Jack, Molly and Porter row away from Sila in Fortuna Bay

 We really love our 200m shoreline because it allowed Adam and Christopher to pull the dinghy back to Sila...

...while Molly and the boys did the Shackleton Walk (see Porter's post of the same name from Feb13) over to Stromness Harbor. You can just see Sila over Jack's shoulder, leaving Fortuna Bay

A selfie at Crean Lake, named after one of the men who hiked over South Georgia with Sir Ernest Shackleton to effect the rescue of the rest of the Endurance crew that remained on Elephant Island and on the south side of South Georgia.

 Porter and Jack just above Shackleton Falls, with the Stromness Harbor in the background. This was the whaling station where Shackleton and two others first found other people after their incredible self-rescue.

 While Molly and the boys were completing the Shackleton Walk, Christopher and Adam sailed Sila around to Stromness Harbor.

 Porter and Jack arriving in Stromness, moments after Sila dropped her anchor.

 Christopher honing his mutton butchering skills

Christopher and Adam on a fantastic hike in the hills above Husvik.

 This was the closest we got to skiing this winter- a boot ski on the summer snow in South Georgia

 Above Husvik harbor. All five of us noted that this was a particularly enjoyable hike

 In this photo above Husvik, you can just see Sila anchored to the left of us

 Porter found a near-perfect heart rock

 Sailing on the genoa alone (no main sail), we cruised right by several tabular icebergs

 Molly at the helm with the ice nearby

 Christopher enjoying the challenge of navigating around the ice

 Nice juxtaposition in Ocean Harbor

 We were unable to go ashore here because there were too many elephant seals guarding the beach

 Close encounters with a gentoo penguin. Hey guys, look at the camera!

 Christopher sails by more ice. The photo is a bit deceptive as the tabular is not connected to the cliffs but floating well off the shore.

 Jack Rabbit visiting the macaroni penguin colony at Rookery Point.

 Porter wrote a blog about visiting these penguins on February 19, called "Hey Macaroni..."

We watched this great petrel as he tried to sneak into the macaroni penguin colony. The adults were having none of it and would screech at him until he walked off into the tussock grass.

 They hope that the reindeer have now been eradicated from South Georgia, but there are still signs of their impact and of course some antlers around

 Sila anchored in Cobbler's Cove, one of the best anchorages in South Georgia.

 This is a macaroni penguin. Not to be confused with...

... a Chinstrap Penguin. This was the only chinstrap we saw as they are uncommon on South Georgia

 Jack and Christopher on top of Mount Hodges

 On the summit of Mt. Hodges with Grytviken below, including Sila tied up to the dock

 Christopher enjoying the view on the Mt. Hodges hike

Another day, Jack and Molly climbed Brown Mountain. Unlike our bluebird Mt. Hodges day, it was below freezing and there was horizontal, blowing snow much of the time.

Some things never change... There was a half-marathon on and off the trails around Grytviken and King Edward Point the day before we left South Georgia, so Molly had to participate! The Rabbit ran the last mile with her, in his crocs.