South Georgia is sometimes called the “Galapagos of the Poles” because of the massive king penguin colony at Salisbury Plain, and other wildlife, including the thousands of fur and elephant seals. Polar history enthusiasts are particularly keen to visit South Georgia. British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton first crossed the island in 1916 in search of aid for his ill-fated trans-Antarctic expedition. Upon Shackleton’s death, his widow insisted the late great explorer be buried at the former whaling station at Grytviken, South Georgia.