The emperors are indeed difficult to reach. Most tourist ships are incapable of getting close to their colonies, which are mostly on thick sea ice.
I didn't see any Adélies in South Georgia, but I did visit a colony of gentoo penguins, which are related. They are quite plucky characters, having to cross a beach full of elephant seals to reach the sea. This one is making it's way past one of the 'sleeping giants'.
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Gentoo Penguin by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr
Here is one of the less pretty photos from the trip. Northern giant petrels are scavengers, so the carcass of a baby elephant seal attracts a lot of attention.
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Northern Giant Petrels Scavenging by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr