At sea in the Southern Atlantic Ocean
"Sea-Fever"
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
- John Masefield (1878-1967).
As the National Geographic Explorer continues her run for St. Helena we have fallen into an easy cadence onboard. Warm clothes have been replaced by shorts, light shirts and sandals. Presentations on a wide array of topics are punctuated with deck time to enjoy the sun and look for animals, perhaps a workout in the gym or a massage or treatment from the wellness center. The pace and rhythm are unhurried but definitely engaging. Life at sea under these conditions is truly a tonic for the soul, and we are all living in the moment and basking in the change from our normal daily lives at home.
Rest assured dear reader that sometimes these idyllic moments turn to moments of great excitement, as happened this afternoon. Sharp eyes on the bridge spotted whales in the distance and a mad scramble for cameras ensued. A brief look and few photos and then the whales were gone, swept past the hull of the ship as she continued on her way. Reviewing the photos revealed images of a rare whale, or more specifically, a rare beaked whale. But just which species of beaked whale was the topic of some debate.
Beaked whales are amongst the least understood and seen mammals on the entire planet. As a family there are over 20 species (comprising almost one fourth of all whales and dolphin species in the world). In this wondrous age of internet a quick e-mail to NOAA researcher Bob Pitman in La Jolla, California brought back a positive identification of our whales; they were strap-toothed beaked whales (Mesoplodon layardii).
The strap-toothed beaked whale takes its name from the unique dentition of adult males. There are only two teeth in the entire skull of an adult male, growing from the bottom jaw (females and juveniles are effectively “gummy” whales with no teeth at all!) To make this story even more interesting, these two teeth grow outside the mouth line, and literally wrap tightly over the upper jaw. As a result adult males can barely open their mouths to feed and this severely limits the size of squid they can ingest. These teeth are most probably used in fighting with other males of the same species. You could even correctly quip that these beaked whales are “strapped” to find a good meal! A momentary glimpse into the life of an animal that few even know exists on our planet.
