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South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.

This Territory was formed in 1985; previously they were governed as part of the Falkland Islands dependencies. The Territory is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, the South Sandwich Islands. 

There is no native population on any of the islands, and the only present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, the Deputy Postmaster and mainly scientists, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.

The Coronation of King Charles III, Due For Release 7th September 2023

Technical details:

Designer Bee Design

Printer Cartor

Process Stochastic lithography

Perforation 13 ¼ x 13 ½ per 2cms

Stamp size 42 x 28mm

Sheet layout 10

Release date 7 September, 2023

Production Coordination Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd

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South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands: Frozen Planet II

Released March 13th 2023

In 2011, the BBC’s Frozen Planet gave viewers an unprecedented insight into life in the Poles. Now, 11 years later, Frozen Planet II returned to capture wildlife dramas playing out across all the world’s coldest regions: our high mountains, frozen deserts, snowbound forests, and ice-cold oceans. The series involved 2188 filming days across three years by small crews working in the most remote corners of our frozen worlds.

Frozen South (Episode 4) takes us to the most hostile ice world of all – Antarctica, an entire continent covered in snow and ice full of surprises. Here hardy animals cling around its coastal fringes. In the Frozen South, two key locations for filming were South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.

The focus of the South Georgia episodes was king penguins. This spectacular and instantly recognisable species, with its shimmering black and white feathers and golden neck and face markings is widespread on the islands that lie within the polar fount but which remain free from the pack ice. Standing well over 2 ft tall the king penguin is smaller in stature only to the emperor penguin, and like its relative, the king penguin lays a single egg which it holds on its feet during incubation and keeps warm with a specialised fold or skin.

On South Georgia, there are thought to be over 450,000 breeding pairs and huge colonies can be found along the north coast. The largest colony, and one of the sites of filming for the Frozen Planet II series, is at St Andrews Bay where there are thought to be over 150,000 breeding pairs of king penguins. Other significant sites for king penguins which have 10’s of thousands of breeding pairs include Salisbury Plain, Royal Bay and Gold Harbour with numerous other smaller colonies in sheltered bays.

What makes the king penguin unique on South Georgia is that because its breeding cycle takes 14 months from courtship to fledging a chick, there are almost always large numbers of birds ashore at any one time. During the winter months the fluffy brown chicks huddle together in creches to keep warm and wait for their parents to bring them food.

King penguins are known to travel several hundred kilometres to find food, primarily lantern fish, and much of their foraging range falls within a 1.24 million km2 Marine Protected Area (MPA) which was designated by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands in 2012. It is one of the largest MPA’s in the world and strict management measures are enforced in order to protect and conserve the rich marine biodiversity in the region.

During the filming of Frozen Planet II, the crew documented adult king penguins making a mile long march from one of their colonies to get to the ocean, a behaviour filmed for the first time. The stunning images captured during the series, and recreated on this series of stamps share some of the cherished moments experienced by the film crew when on location filming for the series.

80p,£1.15,£1.25,£1.40 S/S £3.50

Technical Details:

Photography All images © Fredi Devas except

£1.25 stamp © Gavin Thurston

Designer Andrew Robinson

Printer Cartor Security Printing

Process Stochastic lithography

Perforation 13 ¼ x 13 ½ per 2cms

Stamp size 42 x 28mm

Sheet Layout 4 within pictorial sheetlet

Souvenir Sheet size 94 x 64mm

Release date 13 March 2023

Production Coordination Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd

BBC & FROZEN PLANET II Logos © BBC

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 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022. Released 15th February 2023.

On 8 September 2022 Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She will be sorely missed on both sides of the Atlantic and across the free world.

Everyone knew that this day would come but still her sudden passing at the age of 96 was a shock to the British nation, and particularly heart-breaking for the millions of Britons who had spent their entire lives in the second Elizabethan Age. For many in the United Kingdom and the UK Overseas Territories, a world without the Queen is simply unimaginable, such was her constant presence in the hearts and minds of the British people since she ascended to the throne in 1952, when Winston Churchill was prime minister. 

Until the age of 10, when her uncle Edward VIII abdicated and her father George VI reluctantly acceded to the throne, Princess Elizabeth had not expected to become Queen. However, she accepted her role and dedicated herself to a life of service. On her 21st birthday she was with her parents and younger sister on a tour of South Africa from where she made perhaps her most famous broadcast, welcoming the opportunity “to speak to all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire, wherever they live, whatever race they come from, and whatever language they speak.” It is from this speech that the quotation that appears on the souvenir sheet has been taken. “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” This was a profound personal commitment that defined her whole life. 

Queen Elizabeth II was the last monarch to have known the British Empire and for most, the only monarch they had ever known. At the time of her coronation in 1953 she ruled over seven independent countries, which grew to 32 nations during her 70-year reign. Over the course of those 70 years, 15 British premierships and 14 U.S. presidencies, the Queen has been a unifying force and a titan on the world stage. She will be revered as one of the greatest leaders of the modern era, and her life of selfless duty and service has left the world a better place. Her leadership over seven decades has also left the British Monarchy in great health. 

As we move forward with our new King, we cherish the memory of a truly great leader who lived her life for the sake of her nation with a tremendous sense of dedication, public service, and sacrifice. The Queen will continue to inspire future generations. She will be remembered as a monarch who admirably led her nation through decades of tremendous change on many fronts, from the end of Empire in the 1950s and 1960s through to the Brexit era of the 2020s. 

She will be remembered for her calm and dignity, her sense of both humour and duty. She brought the monarchy into the public eye with her first televised coronation, her broadcasts over the years and finally her funeral. She was a female head of state and a working mother when for many the ideal was to still be a housewife. She was always traditional, yet open to change. Her approach made her a role model to many women. 

In the words of King Charles III during his first address to the Nation and the Commonwealth 9 September 2022: “Queen Elizabeth's was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.”

£3 Queen Elizabeth II, circa late 1950s. Everett Collection Inc/Alamy.

£3 Queen Elizabeth II gives a speech during a state banquet hosted at the Schloss Bellevue Palace in Berlin, on the first full day of a four day visit to Germany, 24 June 2015. Chris Jackson/PA Images/Alamy.

£6 Souvenir Sheet of both stamps with quote

FDC Queen Elizabeth II meeting artists who performed at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool 8 December 2009. Leon Neal/PA Images/Alamy.

Island Series Part 2 - Central Islands Released 14th October 2022

The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands are delighted to announce the release of the second in a four- part series of stamps set to celebrate the South Sandwich Islands. Parts 1 and 2 of this series were approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and printed together in 2021.

The South Sandwich Islands are a string of eleven volcanic islands and rocks located approximately 500 km to the south east of South Georgia. The island chain stretches for over 400 km in a north to south direction. From north to south they are Zavodovski, Leskov, Visokoi, Candlemas, Vindication, Saunders, Montagu, Bristol, Bellingshausen, Cook and Thule. The South Sandwich Islands range in size from the largest, Montague, at 110 km2 to the smallest, Leskov, at 0.3 km2. To the east of the islands lies the South Sandwich Trench, which plummets to a depth of more than 8000 m and is the deepest point in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic.

The South Sandwich Islands were first discovered by Captain James Cook in 1775. Thick fog and snow storms made exploration difficult but out of the gloom Cook noted eight rocky masses he thought could be islands or headlands on a distant continent. The conditions made navigation extremely dangerous and so Cook did not explore in detail or land on the islands. The region was next visited in 1819 by the Russian explorer Fabian von Bellingshausen who was able to explore more thoroughly and confirm the rocky masses seen by Cook were indeed islands and there were three further to the north making 11 in total.

In winter, the islands are enveloped by sea ice and remain difficult to access in summer due to the mountainous seas which surround them. As such they are rarely visited by humans and remain in pristine isolation. In 2022, the whole island chain was declared a Specially Protected Area by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.

Antarctic Fulmars are ubiquitous on all islands in the chain except Zavodovski. Breeding on steep slopes and cliff edges they lay a single egg which both parents take turns incubating and protecting from predatory skuas. The genus name (Fulmarus) comes from a Norse term meaning ‘foul gull’ because of the habit of ejecting foul-smelling oil on would-be predators as a defence mechanism.

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40th Anniversary of Liberation. Released 25th April 2022

Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Due For Release 24th March 2022

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South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands - Museum - Issue Date 24th January 2022

The South Georgia Museum at Grytviken is owned by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), and operated by the South Georgia Heritage Trust, a charity registered in Scotland. The Museum plays a vital role in safeguarding the cultural and historical heritage of the UK Overseas Territory of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.

Centenary of the Death of Sir Ernest Shackleton - January 2022

The British Antarctic Territory, Falkland Islands and South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands have joined together to commemorate the centenary of the death of the great polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922). Shackleton rose to fame in 1915 when his vessel, the Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and sank. Against all the odds, Shackleton succeeded in getting all his men back to safety, a tale of resolve and selfless leadership that is celebrated as one of the greatest stories of human endeavour.

Shackleton led three major expeditions during what is now known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His first journey south was in 1901, on the Antarctic expedition ship Discovery. Led by British naval officer Robert Falcon Scott, Shackleton and Edward Wilson trekked towards the pursuit for the South Pole in extremely difficult conditions. They got closer to the Pole than anyone previously.

In 1908, Shackleton returned to the Antarctic as the leader of his own expedition, on the ship Nimrod. They made many important scientific and geographical discoveries and set a new record by getting even closer to the South Pole. He was knighted on his return to Britain. The race for the South Pole ended in 1911 with Amundsen’s conquest and in 1914 Shackleton made his third, now well-known expedition, with the ship Endurance.

In 1921, Shackleton returned to the sub-Antarctic on the Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition. More commonly known as the Quest expedition, it was to be Shackleton’s fourth and final expedition. Large crowds gathered as the ship, Quest, left St Katherine Docks in London on 17 September 1921, with a crew comprising eight shipmates from the famous Endurance Expedition, keen to return to southern waters.

After arriving at the quiet waters of King Edward Cove in South Georgia, Shackleton unexpectedly died in the early hours of the morning of the 5th January 1922.

His final diary entry reads:

‘A wonderful evening. In the darkening twilight I saw a lone star hover, gem-like above the bay.’

Shackleton was buried on the 5 of March at the whaling station, Grytviken, a ceremony attended by the managers of the five stations on South Georgia and a hundred whalers and seamen.

A hiatus followed the return of Quest, with no significant expeditions to the Antarctic for another seven years. The Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition is remembered for the untimely death of its leader but also the end of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

South Georgia was a fitting location for the end of a heroic story. Shackleton’s sudden death created a dramatic, if premature, finale. His death caused an outpouring of grief throughout the world with a sense of loss that still resonates today. Many visitors

make the pilgrimage to South Georgia to visit the last resting place of Shackleton and toast “The Boss”.

The Quest ship doctor, Alexander Macklin recorded in his diary, ‘I think this is as the boss would have had it himself, standing lonely on an island far from civilization, surrounded by a stormy tempestuous sea, and in the vicinity of one of his greatest exploits.’

A century after his death his fame continues, yet his popularity is a relatively modern phenomenon. From the 1980s onwards various biographies and historic accounts of the polar expeditions saw Shackleton catapulted to stardom, something that was fleeting in his lifetime.

The events of the Endurance Expedition drew a new generation of followers seeking inspiration from the epic adventure and from Shackleton’s leadership style. Shackleton’s ability to overcome adversity, retain the loyalty of his men, and his extraordinary and ultimately successful efforts to rescue his Endurance crewmates still inspires people today.

The story of the Endurance Expedition has become legendary. His decision-making and guidance under pressure is celebrated in books, management courses, films, television and memorials today. A portrait of him by Reginald Grenville Eves hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London. Statues and busts of Shackleton can be seen outside of the Royal Geographical Society, London, at Athy, his birthplace in Ireland, and in the Church at Grytviken, South Georgia where he died.

In his own lifetime Sir Ernest Shackleton had won world renown as an intrepid Antarctic explorer. One hundred years later, tales of the explorer still capture the imagination and the enduring qualities that made Shackleton such a revered figure in polar world history ensure his continued appeal. As Apsley Cherry-Garrard, of Scott’s last expedition, wrote shortly after Shackleton’s death:

‘If I am in a devil of a hole and want to get out of it give me Shackleton every time.’

Fittingly the Shackleton family’s motto reads ‘Fortitudine vincimus’. By endurance we conquer.

Text provided by Jayne Pierce, South Georgia Museum.

South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands: The Blue Belt Programme - November 2021

The Blue Belt enhances marine protection by supporting work in five key areas:

● understanding and protecting biodiversity

● strengthening governance

● managing human impacts

● supporting sustainable fisheries management

● supporting compliance and enforcement

70p - Toothfish

Patagonian toothfish are large, long-lived, deep-water species, belonging to the Nototheniidae family. Today the SGSSI toothfish fishery is recognised by the Marine Stewardship Council as being one of the most sustainably managed in the world. The fishery has strict protocols in place to ensure that the environment is not harmed due

to fishing activities. The fishery also generates revenue that is used to fund research into marine management including albatross conservation and efforts to further protect them.

80p - Pharos SG

Pharos SG is the dedicated SGSSI fisheries patrol vessel and helps ensure licensed vessels are compliant with fishery regulations and is instrumental in the fight against Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activity, which could seriously damage the marine environment. 

£1.05 - Gentoo penguin

Krill is an important food source for gentoo penguins and so as part of the management of the MPA, their population status and foraging habits are continually monitored and management steps taken to reduce competition. As part of their higher predator monitoring programme, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) monitor breeding success of gentoo penguins at Bird Island and Maiviken and have recently undertaken work to equip birds with satellite transmitters so as to better understand overlap between where the birds feed and licensed fishing activities.

£1.25 - Benthos

Although the biodiversity of the seabed is generally poorly understood, sampling around SGSSI indicates that there is a huge diversity and many species that are not found anywhere else. To protect this precious resource a number of special protection measures are in place within the MPA including no-take zones close to the coastline and specific benthic closed areas in areas where research has shown there is particularly high biodiversity. Cameras have been deployed across the MPA to assess the distribution and abundance of seafloor organisms.

Island Series Part 1 Southern Thule - October 2021

The South Sandwich Islands are a string of eleven volcanic islands and rocks located approximately 500 km to the south east of South Georgia. The island chain stretches for over 400 km in a north to south direction. From north to south they are Zavodovski, Leskov, Visokoi, Candlemas, Vindication, Saunders, Montagu, Bristol, Bellingshausen, Cook and Thule. The South Sandwich Islands range in size from the largest, Montague, at 110 km2 to the smallest, Leskov, at 0.3 km2. To the east of the islands lies the South Sandwich Trench, which plummets to a depth of more than 8000 m and is the deepest point in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic.

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Ecosystems in Recovery – Whales - September 2021

The waters around South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands are safeguarded through a 1.24 million square kilometre Marine Protected Area (MPA). Biodiversity great and small is celebrated and conserved. However, this has not always been the case. During the 20th century over 170,000 whales were killed in South Georgia waters having an untold impact on the ecosystem as a whole. Whaling ended in South Georgia in the 1960s, but whales were rarely seen on this important feeding ground for the next 40 years.

This series of stamps celebrates the recovery of whale populations around South Georgia and showcases some of the fantastic scientific research which is helping us to better understand, and further protect them.

55p - Southern right whale

South Georgia is thought to be a key summer feeding ground for the southern right whale. To examine how they use this feeding habitat, two southern right whales were tagged with transmitters in austral summer 2020, and their movements tracked by satellite for the following months. While one whale (a female, blue track) travelled to the ice edge during summer and autumn, the second animal (a male, green track) remained in South Georgia coastal waters for six months, mostly at the western edge of the island, migrating north from South Georgia towards warm waters in winter (July). These patterns help to highlight which areas are particularly important for feeding right whales and show individual contrasts between whales and their use of high latitude habitat over summer and autumn.

70p - Humpback whale

95th Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - April 2021

Stamps        

• 40p Princess. Princess Elizabeth in her girl guide uniform in Frogmore, Windsor, England on April 11, 1942. (Photo by Studio Lisa/Getty Images).

• 55p Coronation. A portrait by Cecil Beaton of HRH Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh after the Coronation 1 June 1953.

• 70p Marriage The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, arrive at St Paul's Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving held in honour of the Queen's 80th birthday, June 15, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images).

• 80p Leisure. Princess Elizabeth looking through her stamp collection in the State Apartments at Buckingham Palace, July 1946. (Photo by Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Getty Images).

• £1.05 Pageantry. The Queen and Prince Philip leave after The Order of the Garter Service, at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, on June 14, 2010. The Order of the Garter is the most senior and the oldest British Order of Chivalry and was founded by Edward III in 1348. The patron saint of the Order is St George (patron saint of soldiers and also of England) and the spiritual home of the Order is St George's Chapel, Windsor. (Photo by ALASTAIR GRANT/AFP via Getty Images).

• £1.25 Royal Duty. The Queen attends the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel on October 12, 2018 in Windsor. (Photo by Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images).

• The FDC features two images of Her Majesty; a contemporary picture of the Queen who is fondly known throughout the world and a beautiful portrait, circa 1929, of the young Princess Elizabeth before it was realised that she would be acceding to the throne. (Photos via Getty Images).

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Royal Navy Ships - December 2020 

HMS Clyde 80p, £1.05

Launched in 2006, HMS Clyde is a River Class patrol vessel built by VT Shipbuilding in Portsmouth. After undergoing rigorous sea trials and safety training it was commissioned into active service and was deployed to the South Atlantic to relieve HMS Dumbarton Castle which was based in the Falkland Islands.

At 81.5 m in length and with a beam of 13.5 m, the vessel had a top speed of 21 knots and is capable of staying at sea for 21 days without the need for resupply. The vessel is powered by two Ruston 12RK 270 engines and is equipped with a Pacific 22 RIB and a Rigid Raider which are invaluable in difficult beach landings such as those needed to support personnel on the rugged South Georgia beaches. Although aircraft were not carried as standard, a flight-deck is available and has been invaluable in assisting repatriation of med-evac cases from South Georgia.

After a distinguished career as one of the Royal Navy’s great work horses, HMS Clyde returned to Portsmouth Naval base in December 2019 and shortly after was decommissioned from service.

HMS Forth 70p, £1.25

Launched in 2016, HMS Forth is a Batch 2 River class offshore patrol vessel built by BAE Systems Govan shipyard in Glasgow. The vessel is 90.4 m in length and has a beam of 13.5 m and offers cutting edge technology and efficiency. With a maximum speed of 24 knots and the ability to stay at sea for 35 days without re-supply HMS Forth is well suited to explore and protect the remote and isolated islands of the South Atlantic.

Although the commissioning process was not straightforward, HMS Forth arrived in the Falkland Islands in January 2020 and crossed the 850 miles of waters to make her debut patrol to South Georgia in April the same year. HMS Forth has capacity to carry up to 110 personnel and is ideally suited to carry the range of personnel needed to support the Royal Navy and the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands in its shared objectives.

Duty and Sacrifice – Shackleton’s Unsung Heroes - November 2020

The story of Shackleton and his men is the stuff of legend. In 1915, with the loss of his vessel Endurance during the Imperial-Trans Antarctic Expedition there followed a story of survival, bravery and determination famed throughout the world. Shackleton and five of his men undertook an epic open boat journey across the Southern Ocean and the first ever overland crossing of South Georgia in order to raise the alarm and send help to crew members who were left behind battling for survival on Elephant Island.

Famously, all of Shackleton’s men survived. Each individual stepped up where they had the skills and strength to do so, but also had the courage to put aside their ego and acknowledge weakness so as not to endanger their crew mates. 

On their return to England in 1917 the First World War was raging. Despite knowing they may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice, Shackleton’s men did what they considered to be their duty and signed up to help the war effort. Whilst a handful of those men were recognised for specific acts of gallantry, previously recognised on a South Georgia stamp edition in 2019, most simply displayed the same selfless resolve they showed during the Endurance expedition. They were in effect Shackleton’s unsung heroes. 

70p - Timothy McCarthy 1888 - 1917 and SS Narragansett

McCarthy was an able seaman during the Endurance Expedition and due to his skills and resilience was one of the five men who accompanied Shackleton on the rescue mission to South Georgia.

Immediately on return to England, he signed up to the war effort as part of the Royal Navy Reserve and was deployed as a leading seaman on SS Narragansett. On transit between the south-west coast of Ireland and the Scilly Isles the vessel was torpedoed and he, along with all other 45 hands on board were killed. He was the first of the Endurance crew members to die in the war, just three weeks after returning from the expedition. 

80p - Alfred Cheetham 1866 - 1918 and SS Prunelle

Cheetham was already an Antarctic veteran by the time he was serving as third officer on the Endurance having previously served as part of the Discovery and Terra Nova Expeditions. Worsley referred to him as “a pirate to his fingertips” and his cheerful disposition made him an invaluable boost to morale for the men left on Elephant Island. 

On return to England, Cheetham learned that one of his sons had died serving on RMS Adriatic. Despite this personal tragedy, Cheetham enlisted in the Mercantile Marine and served aboard SS Prunelle. Just 2 miles from the safety of port, the vessel was targeted by a German submarine SM UB-112. The ensuing explosion sank the ship, killing 12 of the 16 crew, including Cheetham.

£1.05 - Huberht Taylor Hudson 1886 – 1942 – WWI Mystery Q-ships

Hudson was a navigating officer in the Royal Navy who took part in the Endurance expedition as a mate. Able to turn his hand to many skills, Hudson proved an invaluable team member due to his ability to catch penguins for food whilst the party were trapped in the ice. The trials of the expedition took its toll on Hudson and by the time the party were rescued from Elephant Island he was in poor mental and physical health.

Definitive 2020 - October 2020

Each of the stamps in the new definitive represents an iconic image for SGSSI and has a story of restoration and hope: 

1p – Native Invert: Native invertebrates, and the habitats they live in, now have the highest level of protection under our Wildlife and Protected Areas legislation. 

2p – Greater Burnet: Once heavily grazed by reindeer which were introduced by Norwegian whalers and outcompeted by non-native plants, burnet is now thriving due to eradication projects to remove the species which harmed it. 

5p – Antarctic Fur Seal: Protected by national and international legislation, fur seals are now abundant on South Georgia’s beaches. Higher predators such as fur seals are used as a barometer for change, and so the thriving seal populations we see today are a good indicator of a balanced marine ecosystem.

10p – Krill: The base of the Antarctic food chain, within the SGSSI Marine Protected Area special measures, such as no take zones and seasonal closures, are in place to maintain its abundance so wildlife can feed on krill whenever they need to; a critical time being when they are feeding their young. 

50p – Grey-headed Albatross: Thousands of these birds were once killed by the fishing industry but new by-catch mitigation measures pioneered in SGSSI means birds are no longer caught in our waters. GSGSSI supports a range of initiatives to better understand global foraging patterns of albatross and in partnership with ACAP, are working to protect them beyond our borders.

70p – Shackleton’s Cross: Perhaps the world’s most famous explorer, the cross at Hope Point was erected by his men shortly after he died. It was fully renovated in 2018/19 austral summer including the secret compartment; will you find it when you visit?

80p – Humpback Whale: Although populations were significantly depleted by the whaling industry, gatherings of dozens of humpback whales feeding on krill swarms are now a common sight in the northern bays of South Georgia. 

£1 – Grytviken Church: Built by Norwegian whalers, the church has been renovated using traditional techniques through a joint initiative between GSGSSI and Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.

£1.25 – Pharos SG: A vital tool in protecting the SGSSI Marine Protected Area against illegal, unregulated and unlicensed fishing. Pharos SG also provides vital logistical support to Government, science & monitoring projects and building teams all of which are vital for the sustainable management of the Territory.

£2 – South Georgia Pipit: Endemic to South Georgia these small song bird songs were taken to the brink of extinction by the invasive rodents, but following the rat eradication project, the air is filled with their song once again. 

£3 – Toothfish: Certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as one of the world’s most sustainable fisheries, the SGSSI toothfish fishery is a model of how to implement best practice and raise standards across the industry and across the globe.

£5 - Macaroni Penguin: It is thought more than 1 million pairs of macaroni penguin breed on South Georgia. The species is classed as threatened by the IUCN and so on SGSSI their feeding grounds and breeding sites are highly protected.

Airmail Postcard Rate - Elephant Seal: Once again the master of the beach, these huge creatures are thriving and captured only by camera lenses of visitors and film-makers  

Even against the backdrop of environmental policies and efforts made by GSGSSI and its stakeholders to restore and protect the SGSSI environment, there is still the threat of global climate change. This has the potential to affect the Territory in an irreversible and profound way. Looking ahead, it will be a priority for GSGSSI to contribute toglobal efforts to understand and tackle this unprecedented challenge and safeguard SGSSI for the future.

PREVIOUS ISSUES IN STOCK 

3D Grytviken

Food

Habitats Restored 

Centenary of Scott Polar Research