Page 119 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

work is going on all around the station. There are no buildings, which you can visit

actually connected with the station but I don’t really recall that we could before

either. However, we could wander among the buildings in February 2002. Our

observer told us that there will be no buildings left when the work is completed

because they cannot allow the asbestos to blow about in a gale as the buildings

deteriorate since that would be devastating not only to the people living here but

also to the wildlife.

It turns out that South George Government is actually paying for this work itself

through the fisheries licenses and the cruise ship anchorage fees as well as tourist

spending. It’s really a huge undertaking for them and is expected to last about 2 years

before the project is over. We wonder what about Stromness - does it need to be

demolished as well? Or the other whaling stations around the island? FOLLOW-UP

2005

From the deck, we also spotted three King Penguins toddling down the hill from the

Cemetery towards to sea. They were walking with dignity and decorum as is their

wont but they never went into the water. Once we were on the land with them we

saw why - they were molting and they do not enter the water in that state. We could

also clearly see lots of “boulders” strewn about the beaches and lying in the shallow

water next to shore. Of course, it was surprising when one of these enormous stones

changed its position. So we knew at once that they were the elephant seals!

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