South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: Nature and History
Accommodation in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Natural Environment and Wildlife
The entire land area of the 3,800 km² territory is designated as a Terrestrial Protected Area (TPA). TPA stands for a protected area on land; here, the designation applies to the entire land area. The designation focuses on the territory as a whole, rather than on a single natural site. For a view of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, landscape and protected status go together. The protected status characterizes the land, while access by sea is a different, practical aspect of the area.
Wildlife is defined by millions of penguins, large seal colonies and globally significant seabird populations; population sizes may change over time. Seabirds include albatrosses and petrels. A 2015 visitor management plan described the king penguin colony at St Andrews Bay as the largest on South Georgia. Wildlife ranges from large populations to the king penguin colony at St Andrews Bay.
Getting There and Visitor Information
The island group can be reached only by sea. The South Sandwich Islands are closed to visitors. These statements address different questions: access by sea describes how the territory can be reached in general, while the closure rules out visiting the South Sandwich Islands. A separate access rule applies to disused whaling stations: access is prohibited, except at Grytviken and Ocean Harbour. As visitor and access rules may change, check the latest official information before travelling.
Walks and Historic Sites
The Maiviken Walk leads from Maiviken to Grytviken and includes a former sealing site. It thus links a named route with a historical connection to the former seal hunt. When planning this walk, take current landing and route conditions into account. A much shorter walk leads from Grytviken to the crash site of an Argentine helicopter from the 1982 war. This lets you choose between two walks of different lengths and with different historical connections; check current conditions and visitor information in advance.
Grytviken cemetery is a ten-minute walk from the museum and contains the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The restored Main Store is also in Grytviken and gives an impression of what life on South Georgia was like in the mid-20th century. Objects on display include harpoon grenades, bone saws, blubber hooks and flensing knives used in whaling. The exhibits may change. The cemetery and Main Store offer different historical points of reference: Shackleton as an individual is the focus at the grave, while the store brings together whaling tools and a broader account of life at the time.
Discover more destinations: Ecuador, El Salvador, Brazil, Anguilla, Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Falkland Islands.
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