A less glorious part of South Georgian history is the early 20th-century whaling. Several whaling stations were founded on the island, with Grytviken and Stromness being the most famous. With the whales gone halfway the previous century, most stations were closed and abandoned. Now they are in disrepair and fenced off, so people don’t walk in and get hit by falling debris (which is very possible in the often present strong winds).

Grytviken is a different story. This station was abandoned as well but has been cleaned and repaired. The church is open, so is the post office and museum/shop. Even though you’re not allowed to enter any of the other buildings, it is allowed to walk between them and get a feeling what it must have been like in the whaling era.