At Sea
750 nautical miles full of whales and sea birds…
As we make our way to South Georgia Island from the Falklands we encountered an incredible variety of wildlife. Three different times we were able to get very close looks at fin whales and sei whales feeding on a rich zooplankton soup comprised of krill and copepods. In the last sighting we were surrounded by at least twenty fin whales prominently displaying their white lower right lips to make the identification certain. We also took samples some of the zooplankton and viewed them under our video microscope. We have been constantly surrounded by the great soaring birds of the Southern Ocean, wandering albatross, royal albatross, black-browed albatross, gray-headed albatross, white-chinned petrels and southern giant petrels as well as prions, storm petrels and other smaller birds. One of the special treats was a convoy of thirteen cattle egrets which flew along with us for miles. One of them decided that it was easier to ride than fly and has been enjoying the sun deck for most of the day. These egrets were at one time confined to Africa, but in the 1880’s were found in Surinam, perhaps blown there by storms in the belt of the trade winds or perhaps transported by ships (like our passenger today). They were soon distributed as far north as Alaska and today can be found on all seven continents.
The sea conditions have been perfect for wildlife viewing and between sightings we have had time for a series of very informative lectures which help prepare us for the natural wonders of South Georgia Island where we will arrive in the late morning tomorrow.
750 nautical miles full of whales and sea birds…
As we make our way to South Georgia Island from the Falklands we encountered an incredible variety of wildlife. Three different times we were able to get very close looks at fin whales and sei whales feeding on a rich zooplankton soup comprised of krill and copepods. In the last sighting we were surrounded by at least twenty fin whales prominently displaying their white lower right lips to make the identification certain. We also took samples some of the zooplankton and viewed them under our video microscope. We have been constantly surrounded by the great soaring birds of the Southern Ocean, wandering albatross, royal albatross, black-browed albatross, gray-headed albatross, white-chinned petrels and southern giant petrels as well as prions, storm petrels and other smaller birds. One of the special treats was a convoy of thirteen cattle egrets which flew along with us for miles. One of them decided that it was easier to ride than fly and has been enjoying the sun deck for most of the day. These egrets were at one time confined to Africa, but in the 1880’s were found in Surinam, perhaps blown there by storms in the belt of the trade winds or perhaps transported by ships (like our passenger today). They were soon distributed as far north as Alaska and today can be found on all seven continents.
The sea conditions have been perfect for wildlife viewing and between sightings we have had time for a series of very informative lectures which help prepare us for the natural wonders of South Georgia Island where we will arrive in the late morning tomorrow.
