Drake Passage
Watching seabirds from the deck of a moving ship in the Drake Passage is challenging to say the least. Fortunately for us, the wandering albatross (pictured here) likes to come have a look at us, sometimes just outside of Endeavour’s dining room windows! As we make our way toward the South Shetland Islands, the sea life is increasing dramatically. We have already seen countless birds including several chinstrap penguins porpoising in and out of the water heading back toward their rocky islands, black and white pintado (or painted) petrels wheeling about, escorting us on our way, and the ever-present giant petrels trailing along in our wake in hopes of a free meal stirred up by our propeller.
It is the albatross, however, that so gracefully represents the seabirds of the southern ocean, and in particular the wandering and royal albatrosses. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of miles from their nests, they roam the southern ocean in search of food to bring back to their young, or, they are perhaps young birds that have yet to settle down with a mate. On and on they glide, traveling with relative ease on the winds that seem to blow forever. With wingspans easily over ten feet, they maneuver closer and closer to our ship, sometimes within an arm’s length, and if we are lucky, they hang motionless just long enough to snap a photograph. We are lucky today. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day
Watching seabirds from the deck of a moving ship in the Drake Passage is challenging to say the least. Fortunately for us, the wandering albatross (pictured here) likes to come have a look at us, sometimes just outside of Endeavour’s dining room windows! As we make our way toward the South Shetland Islands, the sea life is increasing dramatically. We have already seen countless birds including several chinstrap penguins porpoising in and out of the water heading back toward their rocky islands, black and white pintado (or painted) petrels wheeling about, escorting us on our way, and the ever-present giant petrels trailing along in our wake in hopes of a free meal stirred up by our propeller.
It is the albatross, however, that so gracefully represents the seabirds of the southern ocean, and in particular the wandering and royal albatrosses. Hundreds and perhaps thousands of miles from their nests, they roam the southern ocean in search of food to bring back to their young, or, they are perhaps young birds that have yet to settle down with a mate. On and on they glide, traveling with relative ease on the winds that seem to blow forever. With wingspans easily over ten feet, they maneuver closer and closer to our ship, sometimes within an arm’s length, and if we are lucky, they hang motionless just long enough to snap a photograph. We are lucky today. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day
