Filming in South Georgia and toasting the 100 year anniversary of ‘The Boss’ Sir Ernest Shackleton’s death at his graveside.

In February 2022: Up against so many logistic challenges, Covid, quarantines, the filming kit being bumped from flights - and wind keeping us stuck in the dock at Stanley, in the Falklands:- After a 3 day crossing over the Southern Ocean, we finally made it to King Edward Point in South Georgia, coinciding with the 100 year Anniversary of Shackleton’s death there.
We pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Left to Right: Tamara Stubbs / Rebecca Harris / Paul Williams at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s grave, fresh faced in seemingly invisible horizontal rain coming across from the right, with our mugs of whisky.

It took a 29 hour flight from the UK to the Falklands, 7 day quarantine, and a 3 day sail on HMS Pharos, the South Georgia fisheries patrol ship, before we reached King Edwards Point in South Georgia where the South Georgia government and the British Arctic Survey reside.

We arrived just as 2022 New year was coming in. Because one of the crew was ill with flu like symptoms, we were not given permission to disembark the ship, and were placed under 5 day quarantine onboard HMS Pharos. The upside was we left to explore beautiful St Andrews Bay, followed by the far southern tip of South Georgia, Cooper Island and the Bay of Isles. This was one of the most beautiful journeys I’ve ever undertaken, with abundant wildlife splashing and circling around the ship, joyous, healthy, waters, fresh air and stunning scenery.

The ship made it back to King Edward Point, officially clear of any Covid risk, and fortuitously in time to be in Grytviken on the 5th January 2022, the centenary of the death there, of one of the worlds greatest explorers, and personal hero, Sir Ernest Shackleton. Particularly humbling as on a previous expedition I had travelled to Antarctica’s Weddell Sea and the place where Shacketon’s ship Endurance had sunk, and he and his men had survived on the sea-ice for almost a year.

What would have been a very well attended celebration in South Georgia in normal times, became a very personal one, as no other visitors could make it too the island for the occasion. It was a suitably wet and windy day, Environmental Conservationist Ken Passfield and I rang the 2 bells in the church in Shackleton’s honour. My filming colleagues Director of Photography Paul Williams and Producer Rebecca Harris and I then visited his graveside with a tot of Shackleton Whiskey, some toasts, and family messages to celebrate this great explorers life and the 100th year since his passing.

Gryviken is a short walk from King Edward Point, dodging the hissing, yellow teeth, and hard clamping jaws of the fur seals to reach the old whaling station. Grytviken also hosts a fantastic museum, post office, Lutheran Church, workshops and the whalers graveyard, no longer surrounded with its recognisable white fence, but a new oak one freshly replaced by the Norwegians.

With thanks to Shackleton Clothing for sponsoring us with some warm and toasty expedition wear on our South Georgia adventure: https://shackleton.com/