Shackleton's Legacy

by Simon Nash for Surviving the southern whalers, 4 December 2008

Simon Nash is travelling the seas around South Georgia on HMS Endurance. The ship also carries a small band of Royal Marines. The highlight of their time on board is the opportunity to measure themselves against the Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton.

In 1916, Shackleton sailed 800 miles from Elephant Island to South Georgia in a desperate attempt to rescue his ill-fated expedition. Shackleton and two colleagues crossed the island on foot to reach the whaling station of Stromness and get help.

Equipped with modern kit, the marines follow in Shackleton's footsteps. But climate change has made the going tough. Ground once frozen solid is now melting and glaciers have become deadly crevasse fields.

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Royal Marines cross the island of South Georgia on foot.

About three quarters of South Georgia is covered with glaciers, ice caps and snowfields but it has a spectacular concentration of wildllife on the coast.

Although the marines crossed a mountain range and camped out on glaciers, one of their toughest challenges was running the gauntlet of aggressive fur seals breeding on the beaches.

These seals were once rare on South Georgia but they have made a come back. Wildlife Cameraman John Aitchison was surrounded by fur seals on neighbouring Bird Island – but he needs to watch out.