St Andrews Bay

St Andrews Bay on the east coast of South Georgia holds the largest king penguin colony on the island, well over a hundred thousand breeding pairs spread across a plain at the foot of the Cook and Heaney glaciers. From a low moraine ridge above the colony the view is of penguins as far as the eye can reach, with the chicks gathered in brown crèches among the adults. Elephant seals lie along the black beach, and meltwater streams run through the colony to the sea. The landing is exposed to the swell, so a visit depends on the weather, and the rivers can be hard to cross.