![]() ![]() From the first platform, there’s an amazing view that looks out over the tussock grass and an expanse of water towards the snow-capped mountains of South Georgia. I had to be patient.” Wandering Albatross, Prion Island, South Georgia/Benn BerkeleyĪ moment to cherish: “After what seemed like hours, the walkway finally cleared and I was able to pass without disturbing the seals. After landing the Zodiac’s on the beach, though, nature was against me: fur seals, although spectacular and fascinating in their own right, were not my desired subject on the day and they blocked my access to the viewing platform. I needed to rush up the boardwalk, set up my equipment, and pray for movement. ![]() On this particular day, the weather conditions were perfect: it was slightly overcast and reasonably calm, but most importantly, there was a strong enough breeze for the birds to take off, which is essential when filming. I knew I had roughly 15 minutes to capture the footage I wanted. This means I can essentially film a destination entirely alone and I don’t have to worry about getting in anybody’s way. ![]() Seizing Opportunity: “As a filmmaker, I’m very fortunate to be able to join the shore party, disembarking the Zodiacs before virtually anybody else. But the second time was a very special moment, indeed.” Wandering Albatross, Prion Island, South Georgia/Benn Berkeley My first time on the island was amazing-I scurried as quickly as possible to the upper platform, from where, about 30m away, I saw Wandering Albatrosses at their nesting site for the first time in my life, amid a spectacular vista of mountains and water. Visitors are restricted to designated paths to protect the animals and a wooden boardwalk leads to two viewing platforms. One of the first things you notice about the island itself is that it teems with fur seals, who laze on the beach and nestle in the tall tussock grass behind. “I was fortunate enough to visit Prion Island twice, on two separate voyages with Silversea. As I’ll explain, my experience was far from ordinary!” Wandering Albatross, Prion Island, South Georgia/Benn Berkeley Generally speaking, filmmakers and photographers have to work hard to even catch a glimpse of the animal’s 3.5m wingspan. It was very much dependent on the behavior of the birds on a given day. I had already pinpointed Prion Island as a destination within South Georgia that I wanted to visit because I knew it was a prime nesting site for the birds and a popular breeding ground,” continued Berkeley.Ī Game of Chance: “As with all wildlife photography, there was no guarantee that I would manage to get high-quality video footage of the Wandering Albatross. I was immediately struck by their huge size. ![]() “Departing Ushuaia, we were accompanied by albatrosses as we crossed the Drake Passage at the start of the voyage they flew alongside Silver Explorer, which was incredible to see. Above all else, I was drawn into their stories of the Wandering Albatross.” Silver Explorer, taken from Prion Island, South Georgia/Benn Berkeley I’d heard lots of stories from other photographers, Expedition Team members and some of Silversea’s guests who said the abundance of wildlife on South Georgia was unlike anything else on the planet. Crossing the Drake Passage to follow in their footsteps seemed to bring the history to life, but I was most interested in the region’s nature and I was eager to photograph the animals. I used to work as a mountain guide so I was very interested to learn more about historical expeditions to Antarctica, like those of Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton, and retrace their steps. “South Georgia had been on my list of dream destinations for about 15 years, so it was a long time coming. Venturing South: “It was my first-ever time to the Sub-Antarctic,” begins Berkeley. ![]()
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