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Reasons to Go

5 Reasons to Visit South Georgia on Your Antarctica Cruise

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Reasons to Go

5 Reasons to Visit South Georgia on Your Antarctica Cruise

A gateway to Antarctica, this remarkable island boasts a wealth of biological diversity — including South Georgia penguins like the King — and is a must-see stop all its own on any luxury Antarctica cruise. Wildlife lovers, this one’s for you.

By Nina Kokotas Hahn, A&K Staff Writer | April 28, 2017


South Georgia Salisbury Plain King Penguin Colony 1

Gold Harbor is the land of a million kings

Among South Georgia’s penguins, king penguins are the largest species apart from emperors, and the sight of these colorful, three-foot-tall birds is unforgettable. Imagine setting food amid a colony of hundreds of thousands of king penguins gathered at Salisbury Plain or Gold Harbor South Georgia, their cries audible for miles around.


South Georgia Nesting Wandering Albatross 2

See an abundance of wildlife

When people think of wildlife in the Antarctic region, they usually think of South Georgia penguins and not much else. But the island is actually one of the most biodiverse places on earth, a result of its large size and isolation from the mainland. Visitors can count on seeing a tremendous variety of mammals and birdlife, such as the light-mantled sooty albatross, all of which can be found on Gold Harbor South Georgia, perhaps the island’s most abundant wildlife region.


South Georgia Mountains Fjord 3

Visit "the Alps of the Southern Ocean"

Known as one of the most remote islands in the world, South Georgia is actually a partially submerged extension of the Andes mountain range, and so boasts peaks topping 11,000 feet. Visitors often liken their first sight of South Georgia to seeing the Swiss Alps rising from the sea, and it makes for one of the journey’s indelible highlights.


South Georgia Grytviken Whaling Station 4

Discover the inspiring history of exploration

South Georgia looms large in the history of the Antarctic region. It was the center of the whaling industry in the Southern Ocean, and visitors can tour the remnants of an old supply station used by the whaling ships. Legendary adventurer Ernest Shackleton is also buried here, and visiting groups pause at his grave to drink a traditional toast to “The Boss.”


South Georgia Drygalski Fjord Glacier 5

Cruise through scenic wonderlands of South Georgia

South Georgia’s coast is a treasure trove of glaciers and fjords that make for spectacular cruising, and Drygalski Fjord is probably the most scenic of them all, with its combination of towering cliffs and impossibly blue glaciers; this is also one of the best points in the expedition to witness glaciers calving, an amazing natural wonder. See South Georgia on Antarctica.


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