The winds picked up and freshened considerably throughout the night and early morning. We woke today to sunny blue skies that exposed the huge mountain ranges and glaciers along the northern edges of South Georgia.

We enjoyed the first part of our day cruising along the northern shores of South Georgia. In the afternoon, we arrived at Salisbury Plain, an expanse of glacial outwash on the northern shores of the Bay of Isles. Salisbury Plain is the largest area of flat ground on South Georgia, and it is home to the second largest colony of king penguins found on the island. At our landing, we were greeted by many juvenile fur seals forming mischievous little gangs along the shoreline. Once we made it to the main colony, we found king penguins as far as the eye could see. Looking closely, we even saw some really young chicks sitting under the protection of their attentive parents.

This was our first landing on South Georgia, and what a treat it was! Tonight, our dreams will surely be filled with king penguins and baby fur seals.