Greetings from the high seas! We were able to cut our teeth and work on our sea legs during the short passage from the Straight of Magellan to the Falkland Islands so we were somewhat prepared for this longer leg of blue water sailing. Challenging at times but always interesting the weather has served us a banquet of changing patterns and the Ocean Tramp and it’s passengers have come through in good spirits. We had a group of Peale’s dolphins rush to the bow as we rounded out of Port Stanley. Again their antics brought cheers and cries of delight as they slapped their tails and jumped through the wake and bow wave.
As we roll onward “up the hill” towards our destination of Montevideo, Uruguay the days begin to melt into one another. The variable sea conditions and the change in bird life as we depart the lower latitudes and enter more temperate climes serve as sign posts of our progress.
For real challenges one does not have to look further than the efforts put forth by the galley crew that somehow manages to keep us well fed with hot welcome meals. Damian out did himself yesterday by baking bread for the table while we were bashing and crashing northward into head seas.
A couple days out of port Bob and I were very excited to see a Snowy Sheathbill winging its way over to pay a visit. This carrion eating bird was a bit lost as it is normally seen on the rocky coast in Antarctica and the islands that surround that frozen continent. We had kept an eye out for this species while we cruised the sea lion haulouts in the Beagle Channel and also at the penguin colonies we visited in the Falklands but we had missed seeing one. Capturing some decent photos of this wayfarer was a bonus.
Other birds that have kept us company on this leg include many Wandering and Black-browed, and a couple Grey-headed albatross, Greater shearwaters in good numbers, Soft-plumage, White-chinned, Giant, Pintado and Atlantic petrels joined the ranks along with scads of Antarctic prions. Black-bellied, Grey-backed, and Wilson’s storm-petrels pattered the waters and the occasional Skua made cameo appearances. Most surprisingly today we had Magellanic penguins feeding over two-hundred miles from shore.
We have not encountered the marine mammals we had hoped for in these waters but it is a large ocean and rough weather plays a part in the lack of sightings. As we continue north we have high hopes of seeing some temperate/sub-tropical species and I am very much looking forward to seeing the Fransiscana or La Plat River dolphin once we get closer to shore.
Until then we enjoy the soaring behavior of the sea birds and keep watch for more changes in the avifauna as the waters warms up. It is easy to feel quite alone on such a large open expanse of ocean but just when you’re lulled into the seemingly vacant panorama, a freighter hoves into sight over the horizon. Early this morning, around 0300, we came upon a very large fishing boat that was drifting in the Falkland Current that is aiding us with its northern bent. Lit up like a Christmas tree the ship became the high point in an otherwise long four hour watch.
The Ocean Tramp is equipped with AIS which is an automatic pinging identification network. We are constantly sending out radio information that includes our name, home port, destination, tonnage, course and speed. At the same time we receive signals of other vessels from a distance of six miles away alerting us to their presence along with the same information. The fishing vessel this morning was the Haifeng 698. The AIS did not include what the target species this ship was endeavoring to catch but we thought that squid was a strong likelihood.
At the best reckoning we should be getting into either Montevideo or Colonia, Uruguay on Tuesday the 14th. At that time many onboard will bid farewell to the Tramp as we head homeward or continue the adventure on land. As we begin selecting “best of” photos to share with our shipmates we can reflect on what an incredible voyage this has been and how very fortunate we all are to have had this opportunity to explore such a far flung beautiful world. Gary
