At Sea
Greetings to all of you on land and at sea. I am writing this Daily Expedition Report from the bridge of the M.S. National Geographic Endeavour. I have 17 large windows to look out upon the expansive cobalt-blue Atlantic Ocean. I call this area "my office." Imagine that - an office at sea! Of course there are others here with me, as all guests are welcome on the bridge, and in fact, everyone is invited and encouraged to visit the bridge. From here we can check the ship's course and speed, listen to the radio traffic (out here there is virtually none), watch the officers navigate the ship, and generally hang out in a warm, fun, and friendly environment.
My reasons for being up here are admittedly self-serving, although I will share anything I find with everyone onboard. I am on the lookout for seabirds and marine mammals, and today we are watching masked and red-footed boobies. Venturing the open ocean while a fresh breeze cools the warm, tropical air, the distant featureless horizon is broken only by the small island of Fernando do Noronha. From the bridge wing on the leeward side of the ship, we are now accompanied by one red-footed and four masked boobies (one masked booby is pictured here).
Like all of us, the boobies keep a sharp lookout for anything breaking the surface. We watch them hunt for flying fish, who, while avoiding predators from below, alight from the surface to escape, only to be pursued by boobies from above. When the boobies see a flying fish, they go into a sudden, steep and rapid dive. As they near the surface of the water, they close their wings and turn into a living, breathing spear. They puncture the water, diving from as high as 100 feet, and while they under (sometimes up to 30 seconds), they grasp a fish with their serrated beaks as the fish tries to get away. Sometimes they miss the fish but many times they are successful. It is a treat to witness these antics, and it must be rewarding for the boobies, or they wouldn't be out here.
Come to think of it, that's exactly how I feel. I wouldn't be out here if it were not rewarding. And it is VERY rewarding to be here, sailing along and relaxing out on deck. Watching for marine life from the bridge wings, or out of the 17 bridge windows, we scan the beautiful blue seascape. I wonder if the plunge-diving boobies are asking the same thing about us. Is it rewarding for those people on that ship to be out here? You bet it is. The rewards are bigger than words could ever convey.
Calm seas to you all.
Greetings to all of you on land and at sea. I am writing this Daily Expedition Report from the bridge of the M.S. National Geographic Endeavour. I have 17 large windows to look out upon the expansive cobalt-blue Atlantic Ocean. I call this area "my office." Imagine that - an office at sea! Of course there are others here with me, as all guests are welcome on the bridge, and in fact, everyone is invited and encouraged to visit the bridge. From here we can check the ship's course and speed, listen to the radio traffic (out here there is virtually none), watch the officers navigate the ship, and generally hang out in a warm, fun, and friendly environment.
My reasons for being up here are admittedly self-serving, although I will share anything I find with everyone onboard. I am on the lookout for seabirds and marine mammals, and today we are watching masked and red-footed boobies. Venturing the open ocean while a fresh breeze cools the warm, tropical air, the distant featureless horizon is broken only by the small island of Fernando do Noronha. From the bridge wing on the leeward side of the ship, we are now accompanied by one red-footed and four masked boobies (one masked booby is pictured here).
Like all of us, the boobies keep a sharp lookout for anything breaking the surface. We watch them hunt for flying fish, who, while avoiding predators from below, alight from the surface to escape, only to be pursued by boobies from above. When the boobies see a flying fish, they go into a sudden, steep and rapid dive. As they near the surface of the water, they close their wings and turn into a living, breathing spear. They puncture the water, diving from as high as 100 feet, and while they under (sometimes up to 30 seconds), they grasp a fish with their serrated beaks as the fish tries to get away. Sometimes they miss the fish but many times they are successful. It is a treat to witness these antics, and it must be rewarding for the boobies, or they wouldn't be out here.
Come to think of it, that's exactly how I feel. I wouldn't be out here if it were not rewarding. And it is VERY rewarding to be here, sailing along and relaxing out on deck. Watching for marine life from the bridge wings, or out of the 17 bridge windows, we scan the beautiful blue seascape. I wonder if the plunge-diving boobies are asking the same thing about us. Is it rewarding for those people on that ship to be out here? You bet it is. The rewards are bigger than words could ever convey.
Calm seas to you all.
