Evanescent Light : Saint Andrews Bay

Sunrise panorama; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia (Click the image to download 110 Mpix stitched panorama - wlll print 6ft wide)

Oakum boy shadows at sunset: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Annie, with her pediatric neurologist hat on, noticed some penguins on the beach exhibiting movement disorders that looked like ataxia. Movies of ataxic penguin ataxia. Click here to play movies MOVIE1 MOVIE2 MOVIE3

Photos below are from our visit in October 2017

King penguins on the beach at dawn; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins along the river at dawn; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Mike, penguins and elephant seal on the beach at first light; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Hans Hansson in early morning mist: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins entering the water in early morning mist;: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins andevening light on the mountains; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguins on both sides of the river; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins on grass,evening light; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Beachmaster elephant seal with first light on the mountains; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seals on the beach at dawn; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguin shadows on an elephant seal; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Snotty-nosed elephant seal; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin shadow on sleeping elephant seal; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seals and pup bathed in warm sunrise light; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seal framed by king penguin; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin leap; St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Up, over and down - penguin leap; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins leaping from an alcove; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Which way are we meant to be going?; King penguins, Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King pengun making a splash; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seal tossing sand: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin neck feather abstract; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin neck close-up; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrel feather close-up; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Some don't make it; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrel - master scavenger; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrel with a halo of tail feathers; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrel in characteristic bullying pose; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrels fighting over a dead elephant seal cub carcass #1; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrels fighting over a dead elephant seal cub carcass #2; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Snowy sheathbill (AKA 'shit chicken') and Hans Hansson; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins descending before a glacier; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins arrayed before surf mist; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Saint Andrews Bay panorama with cloudscape: South Georgia

King penguins below and above breaking surf:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins in surf spray#1: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins in surf #1: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins in surf #2: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins in surf spray#2: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins in surf #3: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin portrait with neck extended: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Another plethora of King penguins: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin in black rock alcove: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Jousting elephant seal bulls with hightone background: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Fur seal looking sweet and innocent: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Fur seal peeking between tussacs: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Aggressive fur seal: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin shadows with cloudscape: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin pecking at the moon: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin adults and oakum boys under lenticular cloud: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Female elephant seals growling: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seals and cub: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Saint Andrews Bay backlighting: South Georgia

Photographer at Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Backlit oakum boys: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins around the lagoon at lenticular sunset: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Oakum boys, lenticular sunset: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin pair:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin adult and oakum boy: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

"What did you say??:
King penguins, Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Saint Andrews Bay in a blizzard; October 13, 2017

Female elephant seal growling in blizzard:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seals and penguins on snowy beach:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

The king penguin chicks (oakum boys) huddle together in crèches for protection from the fierce wind and blowing snow. But it is now springtime, and they must have experienced much worse conditions during the long winter months alone on the beach without any shelter.

Oakum boys in blowing snow #1: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Oakum boys in blowing snow #2:Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Oakum boy crèche in snow: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Hans Hansson hovering above a bull elephant seal: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seal in a pool on snow covered beach: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seals below mountain in snow: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguins in snow: #1: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguins in snow: #2:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Lone penguin isolated by falling snow:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguins among ice floes: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguins, ice, surf:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguin column climbing through ice floes: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Black elephant seal cub in snow: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Saint Andrews Bay panorama in snow: South Georgia

King penguins lined up before snowy mountains; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguin and mountain reflections; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King Penguin line in a void; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Fur seal yawning on a rock; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Trio of snowy sheathbills on ice: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Fur seal between icicles; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Oakum boys with pink mountain reflection in lake; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguin silhouettes against fiery sunrise sky; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

First sunlight catching glacier and penguins; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins in white breaking surf; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Chris and Monique surveying the beach at sunrise; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins and glacier; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Massed penguis catching the light below shadowed mountains; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Two king penguins and elephant seals catching the light; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Adult King preening among oakum boys; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Giant petrels fighting on wet beach; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Elephant seal chasing away a giant petrel from its dead pup; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Icicles and gloomy mountains; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins around a curve; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Penguinscape under clouds; Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Wedge of penguins: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

My last photo of Saint Andrews Bay, taken from near the landing beach while waiting for Dion to pick us up in the zodiac. A final memory of what is arguably the most spectacular wildlife destination on Earth.

Photos below are from our visit in November 2015

Anne, with her pediatric neurologist hat on, noticed some penguins on the beach exhibiting movement disorders that looked like ataxia. Movies of ataxic penguin ataxia. Click here to play movies MOVIE1 MOVIE2 MOVIE3

Saint Andrews Bay Panorama: South Georgia
'Ultrapano' - >100 Mpix stitched panorama. It will print 7ft wide at 300 dpi. Click on the image to download 86 MB image file.

Which of you is going to feed me??: Pair of king penguins with an oakum boy begging to be fed.
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King penguins below rock cleft:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Supercilious fur seal : Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Juvenila fur seals play fighting:
Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Fur seal scratching chin: Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

At the northern end of Saint Andrews Bay, penguins must dive from a rock shelf to continue to the beach. Sometimes they manage this elegantly, sometimes not...