Wilfred Chivell, Founder of Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) and Susan Visagie, Operational and Financial Director: DICT, recently travelled to the spectacular islands of the South Atlantics for an adventure of a lifetime in South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
During the last Marine Dynamics/Dyer Island Conservation Trust Marine Evening for 2016, Wilfred shared some of the images and moments of this very special trip.
The Great White House was packed and everyone was keen to hear more about South Georgia and the Falkland Islands which form part of a marine protected area near South America and the Antarctic’s. The trip was undertaken on board Sea Spirit guided by Doug and Dale from Cheesemans Ecology Safaris, experts in their field with over 35 years’ experience.
While Wilfred admits he is not one for visiting graves, he was very interested to see that of explorer, Sir Ernest Shackelton.
Shackleton led three expeditions to the Antarctic. It was on his third that his ship, Endurance, was trapped in pack ice and subsequently crushed. The crew used the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island and the inhabited island of South Georgia. This distance of 720 nautical miles was covered during a terrible storm and is almost unbelievable to Wilfred that he made it.
Wilfred saw first-hand how strong the wind and sea could be while out on the boat Sea Spirit, thus his admiration for Shackleton is now even stronger.
In 1921, Shackleton returned to the Antarctic but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia. At his wife's request he was buried there.
Something that struck Wilfred was that the area was pristine with no plastic or pollution in sight, a true place of wilderness. With majestic landscapes and flourishing marine wildlife, he finally spotted some Southern right whale dolphins. Wilfred has travelled to many places to view one of the species he loves most, the penguin. In this expedition, including sightings in Chile, he was able to see six penguin species - the Chins-trap, King, Rockhopper, Gentoo, Macaroni and Humpboldt.
Wilfred shared some of his pictures, but with some 12 000 to go through he called upon visiting marine guide Judith Scott, herself having been on such an expedition, to incorporate some of her photos too. All in all it made for an interesting evening.
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