Making the most of Grytviken
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise vessels cannot berth at Grytviken, so tenders transfer passengers ashore.
Grytviken, once a whaling station, is now the centre of the limited government on the island. A government representative meets most ships to explain rules and collect a per-passenger fee. A museum covers island history, while the British Antarctic Survey maintains across from the station at King Edward Point.
Snow covered mountains form a dramatic backdrop to Antarctica's oldest shore-based whaling station, abandoned in 1965. This former Norwegian enclave was the largest of South Georgia's five whaling operations, and its vast complex remains visitable. It now contains an intriguing museum, a small British-soldier garrison and Shackleton's grave in Grytviken Cemetery. Weather permitting, visitors may see a vast king penguin colony and a nearby island where the huge wandering albatross, the world's largest seabird, nests. Fur and elephant seals may be seen on the beach…
Money
Pound sterling is the islands' official currency, with the same notes and coins used in the United Kingdom.