South Georgia

"Now that hunting is history and the invasive mammals have been eradicated, [scientists] are witnessing a remarkable ecological recovery. The scientific literature delivers a muted version of it, but in listening to the scientists — who are driven by data and not prone to hyperbole — their joy and wonder comes tumbling out. Among the terms they used to describe the island’s revival: “miraculous,” “spectacular,” “really emotional,” and “a beacon of hope.” Of course, in the era of climate change, nothing is that simple. But the rebirth of this island is readily observable."

"The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) announces its intention . . . to designate Terrestrial Protected Areas that will cover the entire landmass of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . . . The creation of Terrestrial Protected Areas, complements the Marine Protected Area , which covers the whole 1.24m km2 maritime zone and is an exemplar in delivering world-class protection, coupled with sustainable use. This is a model that works for nature and works for society. Bringing a similar rigour to the 3,800km2 landmass marks an important step in consolidating existing protection measures and careful management and enshrining them in law."

"The continued absence of blue whales at South Georgia has been seen as an iconic example of a population that was locally exploited beyond the point where it could recover . . . But over the past few years we've been working at South Georgia, we have become quite optimistic about the numbers of blue whales seen and heard around the island, which hadn't been happening until very recently. This year was particularly exciting, with more blue whale sightings than we ever could have hoped for."

- Susannah Calderan, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)

"[South Georgia] has finally been declared free of invasive rats and mice in the world’s largest-ever rodent eradication effort . . . The rodent eradication work completed by the South Georgia Heritage Trust is undoubtedly among the most remarkable of recent island conservation efforts. This successful project gives confidence and offers hope for invasive alien species management around the globe.”

- Lord Gardiner, the U.K. parliamentary undersecretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

"Since the end of whaling in the 1960s, reindeer numbers had dramatically risen causing damage and depletion to much of the island's tussac grass and vegetation . . . This damage spelled danger for many of the seabird communities that nest and burrowed on the island, and it was decided that eradication was the best form of conservation."

"The Ordinance . . . will allow [the Government of the South Georgia] to enact a variety of legislation to protect what [Martin Collins GSGSSI’s Chief Executive Officer] described as “one of the highest densities of wildlife on the planet” and to support efforts currently in hand to remove from the Islands some of the invasive species which threaten the continuing success of the native endemic flora and fauna."

"Between the opening of the first processing station in 1904 and the final closure of whaling here in 1965, 175,250 great whales had been rendered into whale oil and other products. The total harvest of marine mammals around South Georgia represents a slaughter which has never been matched elsewhere in the world."

". . . The bones of whales lay piled in great heaps, while the rock section of the beach displayed a yellowish-brown coating derived from rotting whale offal slippery with oil . . ."

- Dr. Ludwig Kohl-Larsen, visitor to South Georgia on private scientific expedition

“There were great carcasses being flayed, while around the bleeding mass of blubber and flesh, pigs were rooting . . ."

- Ernest Shackleton, the British polar explorer, describing the Grytviken whaling station

" . . . By 1912 the fur sealing industry had come to an end, with the species almost wiped out on South Georgia."

"I have the honour to inform you that my brother, who is Manager of the Ocean Whaling Co:, and I have imported here to South Georgia 10 Reindeer (3 bulls and 7 cows) as these thrive very well in the cold region of the North, I feel sure they will thrive and become prolific in time, if they are left alone, which would most assuredly be an asset to South Georgia."

- C.A. Larsen

"The fauna is still more exclusively bound to the sea than the flora. There is no endemic terrestrial mammal but a rat has accidentally been introduced by man . . . The sea is teeming with fish and the invertebrate fauna is also exceedingly rich at least in individuals. The pelagic fauna shows an abundance of kril . . . which constitutes the main food for whales, many birds and fishes . . . Although the conditions of life appear to be very uniform and simple on and at this oceanic island, there are many biological problems to study and to solve . . . since the days of discovery much has been changed to the worse. That ugly spook Extermination which always sneaks at the discoverers heels has heavily touched this poor land. The fur-seal which a little more than a hundred years ago crowded the beaches of South Georgia is wholly extinct through the greediness of man. The beautiful king-penguin, the stately appearance of which gladdened the discoverers, is highly reduced in number and threatened to its existence. Who dares to foretell how long the harmless creatures, the Elephant-seals, may be allowed to remain in one of their last refuges?"

- Einar Lönnberg, Swedish zoologist and conservationist

"On 16 November 1904 [Captain Carl Anton] Larsen landed at Grytviken, and so began permanent settlement and the island's modern whaling industry."

"The German South Georgia expedition of 1882-1883 was the first land-based scientific exploration of the island . . . Observations included a comprehensive investigation of the animals, plants, glaciers, geology, and the preparation of maps of the Royal Bay area . . . The expedition was also responsible for some of the earliest deliberate introductions of animals and plants to the island. A hound 'Banquo', 3 oxen, 17 sheeps, 6 goats with 3 kids, and 2 geese were brought and the expedition's botanist, H. Wll, attempted to grow potatoes, Swedish varieties of rye, barley, and wheat together with some salad vegetables."