At Sea
When we awoke this morning we discovered that during the night our world had changed. For 15 days we had been sailing in the great Southern Ocean. We were south of the Polar Front more commonly known as the Antarctic Convergence, the biological boundary between the Southern Ocean and all surrounding seas. There, the water was always close to freezing, keeping the air temperature fairly constant, just a few degrees above that.
Today there was a marked change. We had crossed the Convergence once again and were back in the relatively balmy South Atlantic. The high for the day rose to a sweltering 10 degrees C. Well, maybe not sweltering, but pleasantly warmer. Some of the avifauna had now changed. Wandering and black-browed albatrosses, giant and white chinned petrels continued crossing our wake, but we also began to see birds we had not seen on the other side of the boundary. There were now grey, soft-plumaged, and Atlantic petrels signaling changes we can expect to find in the rich and varied fauna inhabiting the Falkland Islands.
Several lectures, an award-winning feature film, and a Global Gallery fashion show entertained us between our naps, afternoon tea and delectable meals here on the National Geographic Explorer. During cocktail hour, Jim Napoli, our Video Chronicler, regaled us with a preview of his artful rendering of our journey so far.
With full bellies and smiles on our faces, we went off to bed to dream about the many natural wonders we have seen and to think about what awaits us ahead on the remote and fabled Falkland Islands.
When we awoke this morning we discovered that during the night our world had changed. For 15 days we had been sailing in the great Southern Ocean. We were south of the Polar Front more commonly known as the Antarctic Convergence, the biological boundary between the Southern Ocean and all surrounding seas. There, the water was always close to freezing, keeping the air temperature fairly constant, just a few degrees above that.
Today there was a marked change. We had crossed the Convergence once again and were back in the relatively balmy South Atlantic. The high for the day rose to a sweltering 10 degrees C. Well, maybe not sweltering, but pleasantly warmer. Some of the avifauna had now changed. Wandering and black-browed albatrosses, giant and white chinned petrels continued crossing our wake, but we also began to see birds we had not seen on the other side of the boundary. There were now grey, soft-plumaged, and Atlantic petrels signaling changes we can expect to find in the rich and varied fauna inhabiting the Falkland Islands.
Several lectures, an award-winning feature film, and a Global Gallery fashion show entertained us between our naps, afternoon tea and delectable meals here on the National Geographic Explorer. During cocktail hour, Jim Napoli, our Video Chronicler, regaled us with a preview of his artful rendering of our journey so far.
With full bellies and smiles on our faces, we went off to bed to dream about the many natural wonders we have seen and to think about what awaits us ahead on the remote and fabled Falkland Islands.
