Micro guide to South Georgia
"South Georgia is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth, where life clings to the edges of glaciers, and millions of penguins, seals, and albatrosses find sanctuary among the snow and stone.”
— Sir David Attenborough
Head way out into the southern seas to visit South Georgia, and discover a rugged, remote land, a wildlife haven, where animals thrive in complete isolation. Survey the shoreline, where hundreds of thousands of penguins, elephant seals, fur seals, and seabirds put on an unforgettable show against a backdrop of snowy mountains, gigantic glaciers, and scenic bays. This is Earth’s greatest show, on Earth’s greatest stage.
South Georgia in a nutshell
Travel far from civilisation, to find life in rich variety and astonishing depth on the island at the gates of Antarctica.
Separated from the rest of the world, adrift in the South Atlantic Ocean, South Georgia is home to a stunning array of wildlife. Using every inch of its isolation to its advantage, it is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, nicknamed “The Galapagos of the South”.
King penguin colonies stretch out along the bays, a sea of black and white, a sight (and sound!) you’ll never forget. Great elephant seal bulls battle for supremacy of their beach harems, while wandering albatrosses glide in circles over the waves where humpbacks, orcas, and blue whales swim.
The landscape provides a dramatic, towering backdrop for your nature photography when you visit South Georgia, its mountainous spine crowned by glaciers that spill down to the sea, forming great ice walls as they reach the water. And the island is alive with the history of exploration, as an integral part of Shackleton’s story of survival on the Endurance expedition.
Your visit to South Georgia
Best Time to Visit South Georgia
Best Time to Visit South Georgia
How to Get to South Georgia
How to Get to South Georgia
Visiting the Falkland Islands | Everything to Know About Falkland Islands Tourism
Visiting the Falkland Islands | Everything to Know About Falkland Islands Tourism
25 Interesting South Georgia Facts
Culture and history micro guides
The site of one of Shackleton’s greatest feats of perseverance, and the great explorer’s final resting place, South Georgia is forever written into the history of exploration.
Find out more about its fascinating history before you visit South Georgia.
South Georgia historical timeline
South Georgia discovered by Anthony de la Roché
English merchant Anthony de la Roché becomes the first recorded person to sight South Georgia, after being blown off course in the Southern Ocean
James Cook claims South Georgia for Britain
Captain James Cook lands on South Georgia, claims it for Britain, and names it after King George III. He also reports large populations of seals and whales, leading to future exploitation.
Start of sealing industry
American and British sealers arrive, hunting fur seals to near extinction by the early 19th century, making South Georgia a key part of the Southern Ocean sealing industry.
Grytviken whaling station established
Norwegian whaler Carl Anton Larsen founded Grytviken, the first permanent whaling station on South Georgia, marking the start of industrial-scale whaling in the Southern Ocean.
Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition and rescue
After his ship Endurance is crushed by ice in Antarctica, Ernest Shackleton and five crew members make an 800-mile journey across the Southern Ocean in the James Caird, landing on South Georgia in May 1916. He and two men then cross the island’s glaciers on foot to reach Stromness whaling station, securing the rescue of his stranded crew.
End of Whaling in South Georgia
After decades of overexploitation, the last whaling station at Grytviken closes, marking the end of South Georgia’s role in the Southern Ocean whaling industry.
South Georgia Recaptured During the Falklands War
Argentina briefly occupies South Georgia in April 1982, but British forces retake the island during the Falklands War on April 25, 1982.
Wildlife and nature micro guides
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