At sea to Tristan da Cunha, about 200 nautical miles to go
Four days ago we departed South Georgia and set a course to the northeast, destination Tristan da Cunha. At that time, the prospect of four days at sea and 1,400 nautical miles seemed an almost impossible distance, one that underlined the remoteness of our goal which is said to be the most remote inhabited island on the planet. Now we head for our beds with a sense of anticipation that we will awake within sight of the islands. The four days of exposed ocean are behind us, but we can still feel the ocean swells that will influence our chances of making a landing tomorrow.
Along the way we have encountered marine mammals and been accompanied by seabirds that have been our constant companions since the start of the voyage in Ushuaia. As we have progressed from one island group to the next the species may have changed, but the presence of albatrosses and petrels has been constant and today was no exception. Travelling from South Georgia to Tristan da Cunha the seawater temperature has increased by nearly 10 C (18 F) to nearly 15 C (59 F), we have detected an increasing number of the seabirds that make the Tristan group their home. Among other seabirds following in our wake today were a number of wandering albatrosses, familiar to us from the spectacular afternoon on Prion Island in South Georgia where we saw these magnificent birds at the nest. But there was a subtle difference between those birds and these. Wandering albatrosses from the Tristan group are generally regarded as a different species than those from South Georgia, Tristan birds being typically smaller and darker. A small detail, maybe, but another one that serves to reinforce the transitions that have become a central theme to this voyage.
