"Visiting Gough Island" Gough Island by Solivagant

Gough Island Travel Guide: 0 reviews and 5 photos

Gough Island in the South Atlantic is the "ultimate" for us "WHS collectors"! But how to visit this "oh so remote island" where no one is even allowed to land - so important is it to keep its ecosystem pristine!
In March 2002 we were lucky enough to achieve, albeit for a few hours, the ambition of visiting Gough Island and seeing some of its unique fauna. Each year, between late Feb and the end of April, the Russian vessel "Professor Molchanov" (on long term charter to a Dutch expedition company but still with Russian crew) is repositioned from its Antarctic cruising grounds to the Arctic via UK/NL. This trip is available to those with time (7 weeks) and money (not so much really considering the experience!!). En route from the Antarctic Peninsular it takes in most of the mid Atlantic islands - including Tristan da Cunha.
Gough Island lies a few degrees to the NE of a direct passage from the S Orkneys to Tristan. Looking on the world map it seems nothing but, for a ship whose maximum cruising speed is only 13 knots, the extra 100 or so miles represents a good half day's sailing. In 2003 however we had been blessed with calm seas and a good following wind and were going to arrive a day early in Tristan. The 42 passengers on this Atlantic Odyssey included many naturalists and bird watchers with dreams of seeing the unique Gough Bunting and Moorhen which had evolved on the island from much earlier vagrants. So special permission was sought from the owners to divert - and given!

Where to Land?

The island is not in fact totally uninhabited but has, with UK agreement, since 1956, contained a S African weather station with some 6 staff. Their web site
http://home.intekom.com/gough/ provides fine descriptions, photos and plans of the island. It is also interesting to read the sections on restrictions on import of any materials which could alter the delicate balance of life on the island.
So we knew well that we would not be landing. Indeed as the island, with its 3000 ft summit and 1500 ft cliffs, emerged out of the cloud it looked as if landing was impossible anyway. In calm seas we carried out a near circumnavigation and marveled at the waterfalls dropping sheer down the cliffs and the luxuriant vegetation - so different from that of the S Orkneys we had left some 4 days earlier - we had clearly moved into a very different climatic zone. Passing the weather station we called them by radio and asked permission to make a close passage by Zodiac at a suitable bay. The S African team had only seen one ship other than their own supply ship during their 1 year stint and were pleased to exchange news and grant permission!

The Hags tooth "landing point"

At the "Hags Tooth" - so named after the enormous volcanic plug dominating the landscape - there is a deep valley and a small beach which used to be the main landing place for sailors prior to the establishment of the nature reserve (The Geographical Magazine Volume 29 No 9 0f 1957 contains fine photos of the spot and the island in general as part of a report of a scientific expedition to the island in 1955/6). It was there that we set out in 3 zodiacs to approach the island but going no closer than 50 meters to the shore. The Gough Bunting was in fact very easy to see but would we be lucky enough to spot the moorhen among the thick tussock grass? Yes - 3 came out to see what all the fuss was about. The "twitchers" among us were orgasmic! Approaching as near as were allowed we reached an off shore "stac" and were able to "touch" at least a part of the "Forbidden Island"!
After a celebratory drink back on board and a period "chumming" for the birds we set off NNW for Tristan da Cunha ... but that's another story!!

Pros and Cons