Beware of the sun - particularly during the September to November ozone hole season. Protect yourself with high protection factor cream 30+, a floppy hat and long sleeves. If going onto glaciers or snow this is vital as are good sunglasses.
Fur seal bites are capable of becoming very badly infected in a short period of time. If you get bitten, even just a scratch, you must clean the wound and get onto an appropriate course of antibiotics immediately oxytetracycline is good for this application.
Drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration, particularly if it is windy.
research stations
While whalers and seal hunters built settlements on these islands, the only permanent settlements today are at the various research bases. A "city" in these islands may consist of no more than five people during the winter months.
King Edward Point - Seat of Government where the Government Officer resides. Is the port of entry and home of the Fishery Research base run for the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GSGSSI by the British Antarctic Survey.
Grytviken - One of several former whaling stations on South Georgia.
Bird Island - An island located at the north-west tip of South Georgia on which long-term research by the British Antarctic Survey is ongoing.
contact
During the summer mail may be left in Grytviken, and it is picked up whenever either a supply ship or a fishery patrol ship arrives - usually around once a month. The only other option for contacting the outside world is with a satellite phone, which most boats will make available at a charge of between US$2 and US$5 per minute.
There is no public Internet, phone or email access available on shore.