Journey South

The track that we followed over the week. 

Each day started at 5.00am with a quick cup of tea and a look out from the balcony, collecting our gear and the trek to the decks. Most days we spent on level seven, mostly on the port side, although we did move if the light changed and we did try the stern and the bows, although these tended to be busy. We went for breakfast in the buffet when we thought there was a quiet period. Lunch was the same, with a selection of hot or cold food, although on ‘Albatross’Thursday, we collected some bread rolls and cheese and ham and made sandwiches as it promised to be really good, and it was. We stayed out until around 7.30, when the light went before returning to our cabins and freshening up for dinner in the Restaurant on deck 6.

On Tuesday, we saw several species of Albatross, including Shy, Indian Yellow-nosed, Wandering and Black-browed. Northern Royal was also called. Several Petrels joined us with White-chinned, Great-winged, Soft-plumaged, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels. There’s was also and increasing number of Shearwaters, with Cody’s, Great, Manx, and Sooty seen, with Little also recorded. Storm Petrels also started to make an appearance and Leach’s, Wilson’s, White and Black-bellied Storm Petrels being recorded. We managed to miss the Leach’s and Wilson’s. 

On the Wednesday, Prions started to appear in good numbers, the majority were Salvin’s but there were Antarctic, Broad-billed, Slender-billed and Fairy reported. Albatrosses included Grey-headed and Sooty as well as those from the day before. There weren’t many Shearwaters recorded, just Little and Sooty and similar species of  Storm Petrels. It was the sheer numbers of Albatross and Prion that held the interest.

Thursday dawned dry and warm and promised to be the best day as we were close to and going to go round Prince Edward and Marion Islands. We got up a little earlier, managed to coollect a cup of tea and set ourselves up near the rail on deck 7. This has been named as Albatross Thurdsday and the number of birds was amazing. We shot upstairs for breakfast and made up some sandwiches to take back. This proved a good choice as we really wouldn't have wanted to miss anything because of lunch. Later in the morning various Penguins started to appear. The majority were Macaroni and King but a Gentoo surfaced in my scope, looked around and then dived again. Among the macaroni it's possible we saw Southern Rockhopper but it was very difficult to identify them so we haven't counted them, a shame as they are different from the ones we saw in the Falklands and not easy to see except at Marion.

 Among the Wandering, Grey-headed, Indian Yellow-nosed and Sooty Albatross we had great views of Light Mantled Albatross, as well as Great-winged, Northern & Southern Giant, Soft-plumaged White-chinned and White-headed Petrels. We also had several reasonable views of Common Diving Petrel. Among the smaller birds we had Fairy and Slender-billed Petrel, Black-bellied, Grey-backed and Wilson's Storm Petrels and a Subantarctic (Brown) Skua. There were several other prions and petrels called but not easy to be sure of identity.

Because of the imminent bad weather, we only had a half hour before the captain turned the boat around and headed back north at speed. It was a real shame but the storm could have delayed us by 2/3 days and may have caused a very uncomfortable ride.