The scene is utterly surreal. I’m standing on Salisbury Plain in South Georgia’s Bay of Isles surrounded by 60,000 king penguins, squawking at the top of their voices. Aggressive skuas hover menacingly overhead, eager to steal unguarded eggs, while penguin chicks huddle tightly next to their protective parents in what looks like plump pillows of grey, white and brown feathers.
It’s a little after sunrise and the vast panorama of craggy mountains, hills matted with tussac grass and the guano-covered plain are bathed in a golden light, accentuating