We are northward bound today across the Drake Passage. In route to Cape Horn and the protection the land will provide from a large weather system that should turn these waters into the washing machine the Drake is renowned for. By the time this system reaches our current location, halfway across the Drake, we will be safely tied to the dock in Ushuaia. But until that time we are feeling the building seas and howling wind that heralds the days to come.
This weather hasn’t dampened the spirits of those on board. Our morning greeted us bright and early with a large group of approximately 20 humpback whales feeding off the port bow. Late morning brought us another smaller group of humpbacks and three Type A killer whales. This species of killer whale were the first that have been close enough to view from the ship. They migrate annually to Antarctica in the austral spring where they feed primarily on minke whales in the pack ice and open water. They are large, all-black killer whales reaching up to 30 feet in length. In these conditions it was a very lucky sighting attributed to the sharp eyes of our visiting killer whale researchers, Bob Pitman and Aimee Lang. We were all delighted to get a glimpse of this majestic predator on their annual cruise south to the ice.
As we continue to journey north from the wonders of the Antarctic Peninsula we watch the wind and the waves roll over the Southern Ocean. It reminds us what a beautiful and treacherous place this can be. It’s a small glimpse into what the many explorers that came before us had to endure to discover the wonders of the White Continent.
