At Sea to the Canary Islands
For the last time on this epic voyage we find ourselves at sea between island groups. After departing from Cape Verde yesterday evening we have three days at sea to the Canary Islands where we will end our journey. Once more we discover that days at sea are not without plenty to keep us interested.
The day dawned clear and calm. The glassy sea reflected the colors of the dawn sky and promised excellent conditions for sightings of the marine life that inhabits these waters. We were not disappointed. Soon after sunrise we began to see Portuguese man-of-war. These jellyfish-like animals are actually a siphonophore with differentiated polyps. The gas-filled float supports reproductive and feeding polyps, the latter with stinging cells containing a powerful neurotoxin that can inflict an intense sting to their prey, or unwary humans, and in rare cases can even cause death.
During the morning a number of beaked whales were sighted and, as is typical, these animals did not allow a close approach. However, a single sperm whale did stay on the surface long enough for our Captain to maneuver the ship and provide excellent views of this extraordinary animal, the largest of the toothed whales. This allowed us to see the single blowhole, directed to the left, the wrinkled appearance of the skin and the rounded dorsal fin. These animals are among the deepest divers on the planet, reaching depths in excess of 1,000 meters. In the location where we encountered this animal the ocean was about 4,000 meters deep. This animal was most likely diving to mid-water depths in search of prey, mainly squid. Once more, our time at sea provided us with a superb opportunistic wildlife encounter.
For the last time on this epic voyage we find ourselves at sea between island groups. After departing from Cape Verde yesterday evening we have three days at sea to the Canary Islands where we will end our journey. Once more we discover that days at sea are not without plenty to keep us interested.
The day dawned clear and calm. The glassy sea reflected the colors of the dawn sky and promised excellent conditions for sightings of the marine life that inhabits these waters. We were not disappointed. Soon after sunrise we began to see Portuguese man-of-war. These jellyfish-like animals are actually a siphonophore with differentiated polyps. The gas-filled float supports reproductive and feeding polyps, the latter with stinging cells containing a powerful neurotoxin that can inflict an intense sting to their prey, or unwary humans, and in rare cases can even cause death.
During the morning a number of beaked whales were sighted and, as is typical, these animals did not allow a close approach. However, a single sperm whale did stay on the surface long enough for our Captain to maneuver the ship and provide excellent views of this extraordinary animal, the largest of the toothed whales. This allowed us to see the single blowhole, directed to the left, the wrinkled appearance of the skin and the rounded dorsal fin. These animals are among the deepest divers on the planet, reaching depths in excess of 1,000 meters. In the location where we encountered this animal the ocean was about 4,000 meters deep. This animal was most likely diving to mid-water depths in search of prey, mainly squid. Once more, our time at sea provided us with a superb opportunistic wildlife encounter.
