Spectacled Petrel At Sea (Where Else?)
We spent a day at sea – the first in a gentle transition from latitudes with chilly affinities to those that tend to tropical. Farewell to penguins, hello to frigatebirds! Conditions were literally temperate – wind, wave, and weather were comfortably benign.
The islands of Tristan da Cunha were in our wake, yet their influence stuck with us. All day we were followed by Spectacled petrels. These birds, which seemed so omnipresent as to become inconsequential, are actually exceedingly rare, breeding only on Inaccessible and a few other far-flung islands. “Petrelophilia” is rather arcane passion, the birds being generally a dull-colored lot, but a bit of attention revealed Spectacled petrels to be pretty impressive. Their uniform charcoal bodies accentuate the bold white “goggle” patterns that encircle their eyes. While most enjoyed the birds with idle complacence, photographers fished for the perfect shot, gyrating as the birds swept to and fro, now overhead, now far away.
Our day was punctuated by a couple of culinary presentations. Dessert preceded the main course. First Magnus, our baker, demonstrated the efficient construction of Swedish cinnamon rolls. Later, our head chef Michael made quick and tidy work of filleting and impressively large amberjack. A newly-appointed “apprentice” was perhaps not quite so deft, but doubtless is destined for a shining culinary career.
