At Sea Off the Coast of South America
It is another beautiful day at sea, and we are settling into the relaxation of the gentle seas and sunny weather. The birds of the open seas continue to keep us company. Black-browed-albatross, white-chinned petrels, and great shearwaters have been common companions while royal albatrosses, terns and Magellanic penguins make occasional appearances. They are all here for the same reason – this is their home and their feeding area. They are more at home on the sea than on land, going to terra firma only to mate. The petrels, shearwaters and albatrosses can soar for hours and days, but they do take their occasional breaks (especially if the wind stops blowing) and settle down on the water. Today we have seen several large groups of great petrels floating along on the waves instead of gliding above them.
Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, the hotel department has lured us outside to feed us two different times. The first time was lunch served on the sundeck – most of us took them up on the invitation. The second event was tea time on the sun deck as well. The “tea” of choice for many looked and tasted more like wine. That and a few tapas snacks held us over just perfectly till cocktail hour (wouldn’t want to go more than a couple of hours without food, you know!).
The natural history staff have continued to share their knowledge with us about this area and for what lies ahead. Jason gave us an excellent overview of plate tectonics and how the large scale geologic forces have shaped what we see today. Kim inspired us with stories of his life, his love of natural areas and his photography. He encouraged us to look for new ways of seeing, especially with our cameras. Finally, Mike wrapped up the afternoon with fascinating details about the whales and dolphins in the region, and got us excited for the whales that winter where we will be tomorrow – the right whale.
Now it is time for bed as we have an early start for our adventures tomorrow.
