Wednesday 25 November 2009

North-bound to Ushuaia

We've had a fabulous day on the Drake Passage, with sunny conditions and a moderate sea. In the morning the Captain invited passengers to the bridge for a visit. As he explained the workings of the various pieces of equipment, a pod of about 8 Orcas was spotted just off the port bow of the ship- not a bad way to be interrupted! The whales were moving very quickly and few had the opportunity to make images, however, the sight of them is imprinted in the memories of all of those who were lucky enough to see them.

For the whole day we had hundreds of seabirds with us. They were generally using the ship as a wind-break and following to the port side in the lee. Species we saw included the Cape Petrels (of course!), Southern Fulmars, Antarctic Petrels, and Giant Petrels including the rare white morph.

As it is one of our last days of this cruise, the Captain hosted his dinner this evening in the Imaq Restaurant on the ship. It was a time to reflect on our marvelous trip and enjoy each other's company.