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Sailing in Fireland, Falkland Islands, Antarctica, South Georgia: Expedition cruises on board the sailing boat "Le Sourire"

Sailing cruises in South Georgia
Some history... Discovery South Georgia is first seen in 1675 by the British De La Roche, after being blown eastward by a strong gale while trying to round Cape Horn. It is seen again by the Spanish crew of the León who named it Isla San Pedro. In 1775, Captain Cook takes possession of the island and gives it its definitive name. He hopes to have reached the famous Terra Australis, aim of his 3 years long voyage. Disapointed, he follows his route eastward and discovers the penguins crowded South Sandwich islands. Sealers Captain Cook's reports attract the sealers who begin real massacres reducing the fur seal population to almost nothing in few decades.Less prized elephant seals survive better, and during the 20th century their hunting is regulated to avoid excesses.  Notable expeditions In 1882 / 1883, German scientists settle a station in Royal Bay for the first International Geophysical Year to study the transit of planet Venus in front of the sun. A similar station sets up in Orange bay near Cape Horn managed by French people. The same day, these two stations record strange oscillations in the tide. They will know afterwards that it was the result of the explosion of the volcano Karkatoa in Indonesia! In 1915, Shackleton decides to try the crossing of the Antarctic continent but he will never be able to achieve it for his ship "Endurance" sinks crushed by the ice in the Weddell sea. Men begin a fantastic trip on the ice, pulling the sledges and the small boats that allow them to reach Elephant island. On one of them, the "James Caird", Shackleton and five other men sailed towards South Georgia. They reached it after a 16 day long journey and are the first to cross the island on foot to look for help in the whaling stations. All the Endurance's crew will be saved...
Whalers Norwegian Captain Carl Larsen visits South Georgia on board the Jason in 1894, and then with the Swedish Nordjensköld expedition in 1901. He comes back in 1904 with three ships to set up the first whaling station of South Georgia in Grytviken. During the first year, 195 whales are captured. Many whalers, most of them Norwegian, come and create new whaling stations in Prince Olav Harbour, Husvik, Leith, Godthul and Ocean Harbour. Some regulations are devised to prevent excesses, but the arrival of factory ships baffles the control.	Harpoon       Photography Frank Hurley
Blue whale in Grytviken Photography Frank Hurley	An estimated 40 000 whales are killed per year in the antartic waters in 30s. The declining number of whales and the competition of other oil led to the abandon of the whaling stations, and the last one is definitely closed in 1965. Large scale fishing replaces whaling in the 60s. Its important development could provoke other excesses.

Today During the 20th century, scientific work is carried out in South Georgia. Most of them used the whalers for transportation. In 1969, British Antarctic Survey sets up a permanent scientific base at King Edward Point. In 1982, the studies are interrupted by the invasion of Argentine forces who contest the British Sovereignty over Falkland islands and their dependencies. South Georgia is the only subantarctic island to have lived a war, happily brief but that caused the death of one argentine there.

Grytviken - South Georgia

Today, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands are a British Dependent Territory administrated from Port Stanley. Grytviken with the Marine Officer and some people in charge of the museum, and Bird Island ,with the permanent scientific base, are the only inhabited places.