We are doing our best to avoid bad weather, because big waves make for slower travel and we want to get to the Weddell Sea as quickly as possible. So, even though there were big storms in the area this week, the ship’s navigators (with the input from the South African Weather Service scientists and others) took us west from Cape Town so that the storms could pass us to the south. As soon as the storms pass, we will turn to a more southerly course.
Cape Town’s harbor seals were very excited as we pulled away from the quayside. The ship’s propellers and thrusters must stir up the bottom of the harbor, creating something of a feeding frenzy. The seals were not in a big rush, though, as they played lazily in the growing space between the ship and the pier. I think they even waved “goodbye” to us at one point… what do you think?
