Whitecaps and wandering albatross, across a vast expanse, greeted us as we woke. The glide of those large birds mimicked the subtle rocking of our ship as we crossed the famous Drake Passage.
Our passage was fairly calm. Still, we held handrails and we held onto ropes as each one of us earned our sea legs. All through our lectures on photography, geology and seabirds, the graceful clefts of the birds’ flight continued outside our windows. Then, out on deck, we did our utmost to come home with a GOOD photo of at least one of them. They swirled and dipped and appeared out of nowhere while our cameras tapped out the staccato rhythm of our attempts to capture them in focus.
Later tonight we will cross over the Antarctic Convergence. It is the entrance to Antarctica. It is a dense body of very cold water which defines the Southern Ocean. It is also the turning point for some of our feathered companions. The wandering albatross will leave us tonight. The largest bird of flight, with wings that measure over 11 feet, will meet us again when we return, filled with the wonders and light of the great white continent.
