Tuesday 15 February 2011

The adventure begins…


Black-browed albatross

Drake Passage!! Incredible, at present we in the middle of this legendary ocean crossing! At night, the movement of the vessel started to tell us that we were entering the open sea after smooth sailing through the Beagle Channel.




Light-mantled sooty albatross

However, wind and waves were not too bad today – a Beaufort 6 was a good start for getting our sea legs. The day was packed with interesting lectures and bird-watching from deck 7. Mighty wandering albatrosses – the largest flying birds with a wingspan of up to 3.6 m or 12 ft – are accompanying the FRAM on her way down south. But other bird species are seen (see photos), as the Southern Ocean is for sure a paradise for ornithologists!

In the morning many of us were also so lucky to watch a pod of pilot whales close by, this was another exciting moment for wildlife lovers!

This is a good start and we eagerly look forward to the next days and the new sights and sounds they will bring us.