South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Kind penguins before abandoned railway engine, Ocean Harbour

Ocean Harbour is one of the most atmospheric abandoned whaling sites on South Georgia, where rusting relics quietly tell the story of the island’s industrial past. Nearby, colonies of king penguins move across the shoreline, adding life and contrast to the historic setting, while the remains of a small, abandoned train—once used to transport materials like the old railway engine—still sit scattered in the grass, slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Especially in February the King penguins come out of the ocean. During the molting period, they remain ashore for several weeks, unable to enter the water as they replace their entire plumage and live off stored energy reserves.

Especially if a spot interests you, you should allow a little more time and wait until the right wildlife looks in your direction or moves toward you.

Always keep a respectful distance from wildlife and try to be patient.

Use an unsharp foreground for more dynamic in your picture. This leads the view to your subject even more.

If you want to try a sharp picture of a shaking penguin you need to have at least a shutter starting from 1/1600. Push your ISO higher is you get a moody day without enough light.

You only can reach South Georgia by expedition boat from Cape Town, Falkland Islands or Ushuaia Argentinia. On every landing site you have around 90 minutes time to create your content.

Please take attention to all the strict rules that your crew bring you closer to protect the wildlife and nature sites.