The Selvage Islands
It is the nature of an expedition that an unexpected event, a deviation from the schedule, often turns out to be among the most memorable. So it was this afternoon when our program was modified to make possible a visit to the Selvage Islands. These small volcanic islands belong to Portugal (and thus we added both a stop and a country to our itinerary.) Sitting right on 30° North Latitude, they lie under the Subtropical High where descending hot and dry air creates the world’s major deserts. Being too low to wring moisture from moist sea breezes, and showing the effects of over-grazing by rabbits introduced by seafarers of old as a source of emergency food, they really have the aspect of isolated desert islands: an interesting place to visit but not a likely prospect for colonization. Now the Selvage Islands are a nature preserve occupied by itinerant biologists trying to remove the invasive rats and rabbits and return the islands to breeding Madeiran Storm Petrels and Cory’s Shearwaters, shown here. The shearwaters breed on islands of the Mediterranean and tropical Atlantic. Following their breeding they disperse over the North Atlantic all the way to the New England coast where they can be seen in flocks of thousands.
The water surrounding the Selvage Islands was an incredible deep blue, indicating a lack of nutrients and low oceanic productivity – not so good for feeding birds but irresistibly inviting for a group of ocean travelers looking for the first swimming opportunity of our voyage.
It is the nature of an expedition that an unexpected event, a deviation from the schedule, often turns out to be among the most memorable. So it was this afternoon when our program was modified to make possible a visit to the Selvage Islands. These small volcanic islands belong to Portugal (and thus we added both a stop and a country to our itinerary.) Sitting right on 30° North Latitude, they lie under the Subtropical High where descending hot and dry air creates the world’s major deserts. Being too low to wring moisture from moist sea breezes, and showing the effects of over-grazing by rabbits introduced by seafarers of old as a source of emergency food, they really have the aspect of isolated desert islands: an interesting place to visit but not a likely prospect for colonization. Now the Selvage Islands are a nature preserve occupied by itinerant biologists trying to remove the invasive rats and rabbits and return the islands to breeding Madeiran Storm Petrels and Cory’s Shearwaters, shown here. The shearwaters breed on islands of the Mediterranean and tropical Atlantic. Following their breeding they disperse over the North Atlantic all the way to the New England coast where they can be seen in flocks of thousands.
The water surrounding the Selvage Islands was an incredible deep blue, indicating a lack of nutrients and low oceanic productivity – not so good for feeding birds but irresistibly inviting for a group of ocean travelers looking for the first swimming opportunity of our voyage.
