At Sea
Behind us lay the starkness of Fogo’s huge volcanic crater and the courage and spirit of its inhabitants; ahead, the excitement of crossing the equator and landfall at Ascension Island. Between are quiet days at sea on a wonderfully calm ocean.
During breakfast we were surprised by a small land bird that flew past the dining room. It matched speed of the ship while we all marvelled that here, 400 miles off the African coast and more than 100 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands, a European swallow was making its way south. It apparently had an important date to the south as it soon forged ahead and out of sight. Could it too be going to Ascension?
Shortly before Steve MacLean’s scheduled lecture on “James Cook, Master of the Endeavour,” Telmo Salcedo, the second officer, spotted fins in the water and the quiet of the morning was broken. Armed with videocams, digital cameras, binoculars and just plain eyes, we quickly spread along the railings for a closer look.
The pod of more than 100 short-finned pilot whales was slowly swimming just below the surface. Large, dominant males with, well hooked dorsal fins, broke the water surface, blew and slowly resubmerged. Some had distinctive cuts on their fins so we could keep track of individual animals. The single blowhole of a toothed whale was easily seen and the distinctive melon forming a ‘forehead’ was readily apparent. Sometimes a number of whales would ‘stand’ with their heads sticking vertically out of the water. For a moment, one could imagine where the image of a mermaid might have come. With skill and patience, Telmo maneuvered the ship so we could have wonderful views of the large pod. Needless to say, Steve’s lecture was postponed.
Soon, we lowered a Zodiac so Tove Petterson, our videographer and professional diver, could capture, underwater, the slow but powerful movements of the pilot whales on her underwater camera. We would later enjoy her skilled efforts during recap when we appreciated the slow, ballet-like movements of small clusters of whales.
After more than an hour of watching we resumed our course, lunch was served and relaxation reclaimed the ship. We ended the afternoon with wine tasting, tea and, Steve’s talk on Cook. His recollections of Cook’s spirit of discovery reminded us why our ship is called the Endeavour.
Behind us lay the starkness of Fogo’s huge volcanic crater and the courage and spirit of its inhabitants; ahead, the excitement of crossing the equator and landfall at Ascension Island. Between are quiet days at sea on a wonderfully calm ocean.
During breakfast we were surprised by a small land bird that flew past the dining room. It matched speed of the ship while we all marvelled that here, 400 miles off the African coast and more than 100 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands, a European swallow was making its way south. It apparently had an important date to the south as it soon forged ahead and out of sight. Could it too be going to Ascension?
Shortly before Steve MacLean’s scheduled lecture on “James Cook, Master of the Endeavour,” Telmo Salcedo, the second officer, spotted fins in the water and the quiet of the morning was broken. Armed with videocams, digital cameras, binoculars and just plain eyes, we quickly spread along the railings for a closer look.
The pod of more than 100 short-finned pilot whales was slowly swimming just below the surface. Large, dominant males with, well hooked dorsal fins, broke the water surface, blew and slowly resubmerged. Some had distinctive cuts on their fins so we could keep track of individual animals. The single blowhole of a toothed whale was easily seen and the distinctive melon forming a ‘forehead’ was readily apparent. Sometimes a number of whales would ‘stand’ with their heads sticking vertically out of the water. For a moment, one could imagine where the image of a mermaid might have come. With skill and patience, Telmo maneuvered the ship so we could have wonderful views of the large pod. Needless to say, Steve’s lecture was postponed.
Soon, we lowered a Zodiac so Tove Petterson, our videographer and professional diver, could capture, underwater, the slow but powerful movements of the pilot whales on her underwater camera. We would later enjoy her skilled efforts during recap when we appreciated the slow, ballet-like movements of small clusters of whales.
After more than an hour of watching we resumed our course, lunch was served and relaxation reclaimed the ship. We ended the afternoon with wine tasting, tea and, Steve’s talk on Cook. His recollections of Cook’s spirit of discovery reminded us why our ship is called the Endeavour.
