A British island reclaimed by nature

A far-flung British territory

Marooned in the South Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Antarctica, the glaciated peaks and billowing tundra grasses of South Georgia cast a dramatic scene. Though the crescent-shaped island is technically a British Overseas Territory, it’s also claimed by Argentina and is so remote and hard to get to that many people in the United Kingdom have never even heard of it. There’s no airport, so the only access is by boat from Tierra del Fuego or the Falkland Islands, a journey of at least two days and nights across some of the roughest seas in the world.

But South Georgia’s remote location is the island’s secret blessing, because here, well away from humans, nature is flourishing. In fact, South Georgia has such a stunning and surprising array of biodiversity that this near-Antarctic oasis is often referred to as “The Galapagos of the Poles”. (Credit: Bella Falk)

Ice and penguins

Located about 1,000km east of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia is the largest dot in a spectacularly picturesque but inhospitable archipelago called South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It’s about 160km from tip to toe and covers an area of about 3,527 sq km, making it roughly the same size as Cornwall.

The island was first spotted by sailors in the 17th Century, but it wasn’t until 1775 that Captain James Cook made the first landing. He claimed South Georgia for Britain and named it the Isle of Georgia in honour of King George III. In 1916, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton crossed South Georgia while searching for aid during his ill-fated trans-Antarctic expedition, later dying on the island.

It’s a harsh but magnificent environment, where snow-capped mountains more than 2,000m tall plunge into deep fjords, and crystal blue glaciers calve into the frigid waters with a thundering rumble. Three-fourths of the island is covered in permanent ice and snow; and with no major land masses nearby for protection, it’s frequently battered by vicious South Atlantic winds. (Credit: Bella Falk)

A once-in-a-lifetime destination

South Georgia has no permanent residents. Around 30 people live here temporarily, made up of scientists at the King Edward Point research base and summer staff who manage the visitor centre and museum for the few tourists willing and able to make the long journey.

They come on small cruise ships or yachts, crossing from Ushuaia, Argentina, via the Falkland Islands and then on to Antarctica. But there is no accommodation on the island for visitors, and access is restricted, with landings limited to just 100 people on shore for no more than a few hours at a time.

All this makes South Georgia one of the least-visited tourist destinations in the world, with only around 10,000 visitors last year. (Credit: Bella Falk)