The weather this morning was nothing short of horrible. With rain and a strong wind of about 40 knots from the northeast clipping the tops off the steep choppy swells and blowing them back in lines of white spray, it was impossible to see the coast of South Georgia that was just a few miles away. The island was first sighted in 1675 and was claimed for Britain by Captain Cook one hundred years later, and named for King George III. A major center of sealing operations in the 19th century and of whaling until 1965, today South Georgia, along with the South Sandwich Islands, constitutes a United Kingdom Dependent Territory.

We continued to roll heavily as we made our way along the exposed coast of South Georgia and it became increasingly apparent that we would not be launching the Zodiacs anytime soon. Laurie confirmed this with an announcement and, after breakfast, we met in the lecture hall to hear the revised plan of action. Unfortunately, the direction of the wind was the worst possible for landing on South Georgia as the majority of the coves and beaches are exposed to the northeast, and conditions would be far too rough to even attempt a landing. However, we had a chance of finding shelter further to the east, in Cumberland Bay, where the old whaling station of Grytviken is tucked under the mountains at the head of King Edward Cove. The extra time this morning gave Frank an opportunity to finish his two previously interrupted lectures, and he showed more of his fantastic slides of the birds and seals of the area. We felt the motion of the ship reduce as we entered Cumberland Bay and, soon afterward, we were at anchor off Grytviken. The staff were quickly ashore to collect the harbour master and scout the landing, in preparation for our landing immediately following lunch.

Our first Zodiac disembarkation of the expedition was an exciting one with some large swells at the gangway, even though the wind had dropped completely. We landed on the beach below the whaler's graveyard and were greeted by King Penguins as well as fur and elephant seals.

Up in the graveyard we paid our respects at Shackleton's grave and toasted him with a shot of rum. Led by Tim, some of us then set off up the hill behind the graveyard for an invigorating hike in search of a relic from the Falklands conflict of 1982. The goal was an Argentine helicopter that was part of the invasion force that occupied South Georgia just prior to the occupation of the Falklands. The Lynx helicopter was shot down by British forces in a brave attempt to defend Grytviken before the far larger Argentine force overpowered them. Most of us opted for the shorter walk around the bay to the abandoned Grytviken whaling station which had been established in 1904 by Captain C. A. Larsen. It was fascinating to explore the station and to imagine it in its heyday when as many as 25 whales were processed in one day. Many of the buildings are in disrepair and we were forbidden to enter but, as we poked our heads through rusty doorways, the eerie silence of the cavernous sheds was a poignant reminder of the bloody business of whaling. Several old whaling catcher ships are abandoned on the beaches of the bay. At the museum, we met Tim and Pauline Carr, a remarkable couple who have spent almost 30 years cruising the world in their yacht, Curlew. They arrived in the Falklands in 1991 and were soon drawn to South Georgia after hearing endless tales about the spectacular island. They arrived in 1993 and have been there ever since, having become deeply involved in the restoration of the whaler's church and the establishment of the South Georgia museum. Many of us saw their 103 year-old boat tied up alongside the Petrel, one of the semi-submerged whalecatchers. The church and the manager's house have been beautifully restored so we were able to visit both. The church is nestled up against a mountain, behind most of the other buildings. Inside, a bust of Larsen is mounted on the wall near a pipe organ. A Funeral service for Shackleton was held inside the church prior to his burial on March 5, 1922. The manager's house overlooks the harbor and has been converted into a museum. Cooking pots, anchors, harpoon guns, and other large whaling artifacts are set on the lawn in front of the house. Inside the house, products gained from whaling adorn the walls of one room; in another room we were grossly reminded of the slaughter through several photographs and a collection of weapons. Another part of the museum contains memorabilia from Antarctic explorations, including the compass Shackleton used on the Nimrod expedition. We re-boarded the Zodiacs on the beach just below the museum for a wet ride back to the ship, just in time to get warmed up and to the bar for our first recap of the expedition. Several of the British Antarctic Survey scientists stationed at King Edward Point joined us for dinner this evening and, afterward, Pat Lurcock, harbour master, customs and immigration officer, and experienced mountaineer, gave us a brief talk on current activities in South Georgia.