
Cooper Bay
Sea birds, penguins and seals all thrive in this protected area
Information about Cooper Bay
Cooper Bay is a small inlet containing Cooper Island at the very southeast end of South Georgia island. It was first mapped and named by Captain Cook’s 1775 expedition. From this small bay, you will get a commanding view of Cooper Island itself whose 1,300ft summit is always above the snowline, giving some stunning polar vistas even in the height of Antarctic summer.
Cooper Island is heavily protected for wildlife and it is a haven for bird species that love to nest in the tussac grass that covers the island, from the South Georgia Pintail and Pipit, to the Light-mantled Sooty Albatross and the South Georgia Shag. It is also home to four species of penguin, attracting Leopard Seals, and Cooper Island has the largest Chinstrap colony on South Georgia and is one of the more accessible places to see the Macaroni Penguin.
Fur seals and elephant seals also breed and also watch out for black-browed albatross, as well as Antarctic prions and snow petrels hunting for food offshore.
Interesting facts about Cooper Bay
Cooper Bat is a great place to see the a range of penguins. if you are lucky you might see King Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and Macaroni Penguins on the same beach About 20,000 Macaroni penguins live on Cooper Island, fishing in the waters of Cooper Bay. The black-browed albatross colony here is an important site, as numbers of this large bird have fallen by over 60% in the last 60 years.