Antarctica on the horizon – South Georgia Island

Two days at sea running at 18 knots away from a massive Antarctic storm system, our masterful captain Andri Domanin steered us safely toward South Georgia with minimal waves. His feat allowed us to experience an additional, unscripted passage through the stunning Drygalski Fjord at the very southern tip of the island. The sheer size and stunning, untouched beauty of this place is mesmerizing, yet evidence of a globe in upheaval is present even here, in this very remote corner of our planet.

Just as our human race suffered through Covid-19, the animal kingdom is facing a pandemic of its own – avian influenza. It emerged from a poultry farm in the northern hemisphere a few years ago. It first ravaged geese, seabirds, and eventually spread to seals and other species wiping out entire colonies. As some of you may have read, this virus has inevitably now reached the southern hemisphere.

Spreading from bird to bird, it was only a matter of time till this deadly wave would be carried by migratory birds to reach these southernmost lands on earth which it now has. Our ship, and all other operators are applying the strictest bio security measures to assure humans are not contributing to the situation. Our Silversea team is on top of it every day with the strictest protocols established by IAATO being followed.

The speed of this virus is scary as it made landfall on the western tip of bird island on November 7th and as of this morning, 15 sites along South Georgia are closed to landings due to evidence of mass casualties. While saddening and horrific, it appears that so far, the worst fears have not materialized as penguins are unaffected to date.

As our expedition team shared, we pivot to zodiac and kayak exploration instead of landings to explore this majestic place. So stay tuned for more amazing scenery on tomorrow’s blog.