Cooper Bay, South Georgia - 03:45 am

11 Dec 2008

Abandoned in the middle of nowhere! Pierre and I were dropped off on a rock in the middle of the ocean near to a macaroni penguin colony - and left there. On our own. For ages!

(Thanks Adam Riley for the pic)

Ok, we weren’t quite on our own. We had to persuade a most unappreciative fur seal to share his rock with us while we filmed.

(Thanks again Adam)

Once we’d won the territory, we could get down to the serious business.

I stood in a puddle of sea water holding the microphone, winning our territory from the seal and watching as an iceberg silently flowed into the gap next to us where our zodiac dropped us, and then gently back out again.

As we were left on our own with only the sounds of the waves, birds and seals, I wondered what we’d do if a rogue wave came our way. Get in a spot of bother no doubt.
But what a feeling, left alone at the bottom of the world with nobody around to disturb you, only the animals which came to investigate us and then carry on their day’s routine. An extremely extraordinary feeling and a very special one. I gnawed on a piece of ice which had formed over many many more years than I can fathom and came to be washed up at my feet.

However, after more than an hour in an icy puddle, your toes begin to lose that loving feeling and it’s a rather warm glow that accompanied the sight of the zodiac coming back to get us.

After a stop at Cooper bay we went on a Zodiac trip. This didn’t turn out too well. A few boats got stranded on a beach, pinned there by a constant stream of huge, ice-filled waves. Our Zodiac hit the edge of a rock which sent a wave of cold water over me - instantly inflating my life jacket. Marvelous. We eventaully made it back to the ship, where Pierre got me a warming drink to try and stop the shivering.

Comedy value.

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