The South Atlantic
Wind whipped clouds and seabirds dancing on whitecaps. We are at sea -- en route to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. The sea day has allowed a day of rest for many, beginning with a very welcome delayed wake-up call. The rocking of the ship made it easy to dream of blue prions circling the bow in sweeping arcs, great albatross floating effortlessly through the sky, and dolphins keeping pace with the ship.
One accidental stowaway joined us in the form of a South Georgia diving petrel, a small blue-footed seabird which landed on the deck overnight. These birds fly in straight lines across the waves, and if they encounter the crest of a wave, fly straight through it and pop out the other side. Their stubby wings are suited to flying through water as if it were air. This particular bird, marooned on our metal island, was warmed indoors until it – anxious to get back to the home island for which it was named (ever shrinking in the distance) – was released from ship’s stern. It gracefully took wing back toward that Antarctic Isle, the site of now many great memories.
Perfecting the art of napping is not an easy transition from the nonstop pace we have been maintaining, but many take up the challenge. Having borrowed heavily, sleep debits are not likely to be paid back until everyone gets home, but small deposits were made today. Our coming days in the Falklands will find a return to our active expedition pace and we will be happy to have taken a short rest to study the wildlife we will soon see and download images to free space for the next chapter of this fantastic voyage.
