South Georgia Reading

Excuse the superlatives, but they are hard to avoid, as anyone who has had the good fortune to go there will certainly tell you. And this splendid guide will answer all of your questions. With some additional contributions by other experts, the authors provide detailed but concise information on a range of subjects such as geology, human history, wildlife, vegetation, tourism, fisheries, even postage stamps.

The second section of the book contains descriptions of 24 of the most popular visitor sites. These tell you what there is to see, and of course what wildlife is normally there, plus other useful site-specific information, including a basic map of the site.

The guide is lavishly illustrated throughout with lovely photographs, mainly by Kim Crosbie. Due to the size of the pages (210 x 150mm, or about 8 x 6 inches) some of the photos are inevitably very small, but this is a  minor comment on what is a wonderfully compact and valuable guidebook.

Sally Poncet has lived with her family for nearly 30 years in South Georgia, the Falklands and Antarctica. She has special interests in the seabirds and habitat conservation. Kim Crosbie hails from Edinburgh and has led many tourist cruises to South Georgia. She holds a PhD from the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, UK.

While the bulk of the book is concerned with the seabirds and marine mammals that one may see, there are several pages on the plants, invertebrates and fish. In addition, there are a dozen pages on the history of human discovery and exploitation of Antarctica..

Tony Soper was a co-founder of the BBC’s Natural History Unit and made many wildlife films. In recent years he has led a large number of expedition cruises to Antarctica and is an authority on its wildlife. Dafila Scott is a zoologist and a member of Britain’s Society of Wildlife Artists. She would seem to be the ideal person to illustrate this book, being the daughter of Sir Peter Scott, whose skills with a paint brush she has inherited, and is a grand-daughter of Captain Scott – “Scott of the Antarctic”. If you take only one book with you, it may well be this one.

As you might expect, the images on these pages are memorable, portraying the island’s scenery in all kinds of weather and from many viewpoints. The wildlife is given plenty os space, and there are some amazing shots of birds in flight, especially an extraordinary pin-sharp picture of a light-mantled sooty albatross flying directly at the photographer. Schafer is known for his disapproval of over-zealous digital manipulation by some photographers, and states that “all of the images in this book represent real moments in nature. None have been created on the computer...other than by minor corrections of colour and contrast.” We applaud this honesty.

If you have already been to South Georgia, the book will bring back many memories; if you have yet to go, you will certainly want to put it on your wish list.

This simple but highly practical guidebook is the first to cover Antarctica. Trotter deals with all the necessary information, such as how and when to get there, what to expect, what to bring (suggesting dry suits instead of wet), what wildlife you are likely to see, and underwater photography in the region. She warns that this is a challenging environment, where there are no hyperbaric chambers, and is no place for the inexperienced diver.

The heart of the book consists of detailed descriptions of 27 dive sites in the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. In each case there is a location map, and information on depth, ice, and what you may see. These pages are copiously illustrated with photos.

The author also mentions some of the hazards. Around South Georgia fur seals can be very numerous and inquisitive, and the males are very territorial in the breeding season, so care should be taken at that time. The other species which may be a problem is the leopard seal. There was one fatality in 2005, but Shona Muir of the British Antarctic Survey says that the occurrence was most unusual, and that if the diver is vigilant, and does not panic, all should be well.

This subject is also addressed by Swedish diver Göran Ehlmé in a fascinating account of his experiences in which he developed “a kind of love affair with the species.” One summer, he says, a large female leopard seal “liked to keep me company while I was filming other seals, and would often tickle my neck with her whiskers. Once she started to kill penguins for me, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 a day, surrounding me with their poor carcases, but thankfully she eventually lost interest in that, and continued only being an observer.” Not many of us are likely to have such close encounters .... but what an experience!

Lisa Trotter hails from upstate New York. She graduated with a degree in health education and human biology, but after a radical career change went to sea on the National Geographic Endeavour of Lindblad Expeditions, where she has worked as an undersea specialist, divemaster, and expedition leader. Scuba divers will welcome this essential source-book, while armchair divers will also learn much about Antarctica’s underwater realm.

For many years they were curators of the South Georgia Museum, but they had all the time they wanted to explore the island. This talented couple are extremely skilled photographers, and excellent writers as well. The large format (290 x 245 mm or about 11 x 9.5 inches) and generous number of pages in this book allowed plenty of space to display their superb photos to maximum advantage.

Writing about Cape Disappointment, they say: “If you think Cape Horn is a spectacular and wild place you haven’t been to the southern tip of South Georgia”. Antarctic Oasis was published in 1998, but second-hand copies may be found. Get one if you can as it’s doubtful if there’ll ever be a more beautiful book about South Georgia. This reviewer has one and guards it closely.