Tuesday, October 26. Our first full day at sea. It was beautiful and sunny and the seas were calm. As it was a sea day, they scheduled lots of talks for us. One on identifying sea birds that basically confused everyone completely. Big to little, white to black. Our ornithologist was saying (and demonstrating) things like 'the royal albatross is easy to identify from the wandering albatross because it goes Glide, flap flap, and the wandering goes flap flap glide. Well, that certainly clears things up for us. He is on deck often though so we can just make him do the identifying.
Between lectures, we spent time on deck (or napping to be honest, it's the low rumble of the engines and the gentle rocking of the boat that does me in). Oh, I should mention that I put on my zappyzappy wrist thing and it seems to have solved my nausea. I am sporadically also taking doses of Bonine but it doesn't seem to matter if I take it or not. Zappyzappy makes my tummy happyhappy.
Some birds spotted from deck. Blackbrowed Albatross. Great Skua. Megellenic Penguins. Others.
Best sighting of the day was a humpback breaching. Of course I did not get a good shot of a breach but I saw at least four. Very exciting.
We saw some right whales later in the day as well but they were far away and mostly just blowing spray. I think I got a shot of a tail. Let me check.
After dinner, we went up to see our musician play. He is good. We are kind of hanging around with the same cluster of people but it is very loose. It really depends on when you arrive to meals, who has room at their table. We aren't at the level of 'saving' seats or anything so formal.
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| Shane the musician |
Wednesday, October 26.
Foggy! All day. I barely spent any time on deck. The morning was taken up with Zodiac training. It's a bit nerve racking. Of course, they have to go over every bad thing that can happen, falling off, slipping and breaking body parts. But basically, step on the pad at the edge, then on the step and then into the zodiac. Use both hands offered by the crew. No worries there, I will be taking all of the assistance I can get.
This is from our nightly recap. This red parts of the weather map are hurricanes.
Here's the next day's (red/purple is bad)
Then bio-check and boot fitting. It went by room so we were near the end but that was fine. We are right near the mudroom but not the closest. The mud room is actually very clean and dry and warm. It is the area where you hang your gear to dry so it can't be damp. No laundry though. Which reminds me about laundry.
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| mudroom (before we filled it with coats and boots etc) |
Laundry prices are by the article of clothing. Underwear is $1.50 US. Shirts $3. Pants, etc are even more expensive. So, as you can imagine, I cannot bring myself to pay that much for someone to toss my undies in a machine. On day two, I washed my socks and undies and t-shirt in the sink and then hung them to dry in my little cupboard. Our room is quite warm so they all dried in a couple of days. My plan is to just keep two days ahead at all times so I never run out.
Julie has also done some sink washing. Amy, the grown up in the group, sent out a load which came back within 24 hours.
Ok, back to bio-security. The real fear is the new strain of avian flu. We had to take any outer layer we would be wearing on the Falklands and have it inspected. Bags, coats, camera cases, hats etc. Anything new was excused, this time. My daypack and camera case were thoroughly vacuumed and a pick to the velcro to remove any bits
Then onto the boot fitting. I chose to use my own. They were dipped in disinfectant. Boots have to be disinfected before and after each landing. Bio-security has to be done between each area. So, between Montevideo and Falkands, between Falklands and S. Georgia and between S. Georgia and Antarctica,
We were each given a 'station' to leave our boots, coast and life vests. I am station 95.
In the afternoon we had a lecture on Geology that I'm sure was fascinating to some. Our lectures are in the lounge. One of the crew called it the womb because it is so easy to fall asleep. I don't think Amy has made it through one lecture without nodding off. I was looking around today in the morning lecture and I would say I saw at least 10 people asleep, including some of the crew. The next lecture as on whales of the southern ocean (excluding humpback and orca - they get their own lecture).
No musician this night so it was early to bed.
Thursday, October 27.
Fog is mostly gone but the seas are somewhat choppier. So far so good with the zapper.
I had a very quick breakfast this morning because I could see a new bird out the window (cape petrel). I have already gotten into a breakfast routine. Fruit and yogurt. There is so much food at lunch and dinner, I have to conserve somewhere.
Spent some time on deck, finally getting to try one layer of my free $15, 000 coat. I was trying desperately to get a photo of flying grey birds against the grey sea. A fools errand. There are some pretty impressive cameras on this ship.
Then we had a morning lecture on climate. But first some news. Two people in a triple room have tested positive for Covid. I guess it was bound to happen. Obviously it's not our triple room and not the one beside us because I saw some of them at the lecture. We are still 'green zone' which is business as usual. Let's hope it doesn't spread or we won't be allowed to dock!!!
Later that day I had a nap instead of going to the afternoon talk on Humpbacks and Orcas. I hear it was a good one.
Each evening before dinner we have a recap and briefing with the expedition leader. This night it was all about tomorrow - our first shore landing on West Falklands. One in the morning on Saunders Island where there are Rockhopper penguin and Black-browed Albatross rookeries. But the weather is iffy so we shall see. He said get up early. We will be arriving around sunrise (5:30 am) and there will almost certainly be dolphins to great us.
There was a movie after dinner but I don't think many people went. I just went to bed, too excited about tomorrow. Plus, we are part of the first group to go to shore. 8am in the mudroom!
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