South Georgia Visitors – There are few more remote places than the British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean known as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.   This inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich Islands has no native population.   The South Sandwich Islands lie about 320 miles southeast of South Georgia.       The present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, with various scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the “capital”, King Edward Point, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.

In November 2012 it proved a busy month for Cruise ships with 13 vessels visiting, with unusually two of them, both operated by One Ocean Cruises, visiting together to mark the first anniversary of the interment of the ashes of polar explorer Frank Wild in the cemetery at Grytviken.     There were also several four yacht visits bringing small tourist groups, two of which were specialist photographic groups, and two straightforward private yachts.   Other visitors were the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands own Fishery Patrol Vessel PHAROS SG (a former Northern Lighthouse Board Lighthouse Tender), and another regular visitor put in an appearance in the form of the Falkland Guardship, the Patrol Vessel CLYDE.     There is no fishing activity at the moment.

The main Base Resupply was in November when the British Antarctic Survey vessel RRS JAMES CLARK ROSS to deliver all the food and other goods needed to run the station for the next year.     This is always a big day with everyone, with the ship working cargo until late into the evening to move the cargo to the appropriate stores.     The ship then anchored overnight and briefly came alongside next day to off load a shipping container, quad bikes, and other larger equipment.