Grytviken Things to Do

Still today one can find whale bones scattered along the beach, memories of a time before 1964 when whales in the thousands were killed and processed here. These bones are right next to the meat processing plant.

One of the items displayed outside the museum was this whale claw. It was first used in the 1932/1933 season and was able to pull whales of 100 tons. The use was to drag whales, tail first, up the stern ramps of whaling ships. The whale claw weighs 1.5 tons.

Outside the museum one can find various items that were used during the whaling times. Some items were removed from the whaling vessels and give a good indication of what techniques were used to catch the whales.

Visitors to the museum can view a display of the expeditions of Sir Shackleton including the amazing voyage onboard the Endurance, where Shackleton and his men got stuck in the ice of Antarctica and with the charisma and endurance of Shackleton all men were rescued.

A must visit when in Grytviken is the Museum that is situated towards the right from the landing pier. A good collection of artifacts allows a visitor to obtain the feeling what happened on South Georgia before the islands were declared a protected area. Also inside is a gift shop where one can buy postcards, stamps, books and other souvenirs.