Drake Passage
Yesterday evening we left the relative protection of the South Shetland Islands and sailed into the Drake Passage for our northbound crossing back to Cape Horn. After some early morning fog, the day broke clear and sunny and the Endeavour handled the moderate seas like the graceful lady that she is. We sailed across the rich waters of the Antarctic Divergence and at about 1800 crossed the Antarctic Convergence where the concentration of food attracts the soaring seabirds in great variety. Light-mantled sooty albatross, black-browed albatross, wandering albatross, giant petrels and Wilson’s storm petrels fly around the ship, but our constant companions are the beautiful pintado petrels who soar along for a while and then stop to rest on the sea, soon to join us again. This is a day of relaxation aboard after our very active days in Antarctica, but a day punctuated with scientific talks and videos. It was also a day to have time to explore in greater detail the many wonderful aspects of our voyage to the White Continent.
Yesterday evening we left the relative protection of the South Shetland Islands and sailed into the Drake Passage for our northbound crossing back to Cape Horn. After some early morning fog, the day broke clear and sunny and the Endeavour handled the moderate seas like the graceful lady that she is. We sailed across the rich waters of the Antarctic Divergence and at about 1800 crossed the Antarctic Convergence where the concentration of food attracts the soaring seabirds in great variety. Light-mantled sooty albatross, black-browed albatross, wandering albatross, giant petrels and Wilson’s storm petrels fly around the ship, but our constant companions are the beautiful pintado petrels who soar along for a while and then stop to rest on the sea, soon to join us again. This is a day of relaxation aboard after our very active days in Antarctica, but a day punctuated with scientific talks and videos. It was also a day to have time to explore in greater detail the many wonderful aspects of our voyage to the White Continent.
