Mick Brown’s home base is Pembrokeshire, but
spends most time of the year as a guide on polar expeditions and has a wealth
of facts and figures to go with his images which he showed to members on
Thursday 3rd April.
Mick explained that to explore the wild life
and history of South Georgia you must travel by ship, sailing from the various
ports in Chile and Peru South
Atlantic Ocean , it is a remote and inhospitable part of the
earth’s surface, but has a magical attraction. The island is 167.4km long and
1.4 to 37km wide and is the largest island in the territory.
The images Mick showed members were of the
many sea birds the island supports such as the Albatross, large colonies of
King Penguins along with Petrels, Prions, Shags, Skuas, Gulls and Terns, also
birds unique to the Archipelago such as South Georgia Shag, South Georgia Pipit
and the South Georgia Pintail. There is no native population; but images were
shown of a few settlements with the present inhabitants of the British
Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, Scientists and support staff from the
British Antarctic Survey.
Following a coffee break Mick continued to
explain that there are no native land mammals, though Reindeer, Brown Rats and
Mice have been introduced through the activities of man. Reindeer amongst the
Seals was an amusing image, these being introduced to the island in 1911 by
Norwegian Whalers for meat and for sport hunting. In 2011 a complete cull was
announced to take place, leading to the eradication of Reindeer from the
island.
To conclude Mick showed members images
relating to Sir Ernest Henry Shackelton’s Polar Expeditions to the Antarctic
and his final resting place in Grytviken, South Georgia .
Images taken by Mick Brown.
Thursday 10th April Judging
Print/Digital of the year.
Thursday 17th April Judging of
Audio Visuals.
