We know exactly where we are, how far it is to different landmarks, and what weather lies ahead, but when I stand on the top deck and look at the sea, it makes me think of early sailors like Shackleton and his crew. Yes, they had tools like the sextant to roughly determine their location while at sea, but so often they just had to wait and see what the next day would bring. The coolest thing I saw in nature this week was definitely the southern Atlantic Ocean. We have traveled for days and days and not seen another ship or human-made object… the ocean is simply enormous. It has good days (sunny and calm) and bad days (stormy and rough), and just experiencing it first-hand gives me great appreciation for this special ecosystem.
I’m keeping an eye on the skies for the first albatross! I will write more about this mariner’s tradition in my Field Note – Traditions article, but after days at sea, it will be very exciting to see one of these famous birds welcoming us to the Antarctic. Did you know that albatross have a wingspan of nine to 11 feet? It should be easy to spot as we get further south.
