(sub-Antarctic South Georgia)

Drygalski Fjord lies at the eastern end of South Georgia. Here the cold ocean current that bathes the coast makes this part of the island feel most like the Antarctic further south - but even here the glaciers are retreating as climate change takes hold.

Oil on board, 57x73cm, framed

£825

sub-Antarctic South Georgia.

After decades of overexploitation Antarctic whaling collapsed in the mid-1960s. Expecting the whale stocks to recover quickly, the whalers layed up some of their whale catchers and abandoned the shore stations on South Georgia. The rusting hulk of the catcher Petrel still lies where she was abandoned. The whalers never returned but six decades later whale stocks are finally recovering.

oil on board, framed 49.2x59.2cm

£825

Antarctic whaling commenced in the first years of the 20th century. Initially the catch was dominated by humpback whales but by the end of World War I the humpbacks were virtually extinct. Now whaling in the Antarctic has ceased it is estimated that numbers have returned to over 90% of pre-exploitation levels and are still increasing.

oil on canvas laid panel, framed 47x37cm

£350