Setting Sail

Sunday, May 20.2007

We’re nearly a week into the campaign now and things here on the Farley Mowat are going really well. It was a bit sad leaving Melbourne, and saying goodbye to all of my friends but everything was so hectic and exciting before we left that the fact that I was actually leaving Australia didn’t really set in until we were out in the middle of Port Phillip Bay. The Tasman Sea is supposed to be some of the roughest waters in the world. Before we left, Paul Watson told me about how a hundred years ago, people were known to cross the Tasman to go to New Zealand, and never return to Australia again as they couldn’t face going across the Tasman again. Those weren’t exactly the most comforting words to hear before setting off on my first crossing, but so far things have been pretty smooth for us. We just barely nicked a storm a couple of days ago, and we had some choppy waters for a few days. Things on the ship were a bit shaken up, and I felt a bit ill, but nothing too bad. The sea sickness hasn’t quite caught up with me yet, and I am hoping it never does.

I’ve been learning so much on my watches with Pedro up in the bridge. Every day from noon till 4 pm and midnight till 4 am we are up there on watch. It is our job to monitor and track the ships position, and keep a watch for other shipping traffic, weather, wildlife and possible hazards. Being up in the bridge, I often see things that crew on deck or in the engine room don’t get to see. Here’s my tally of noteworthy sightings in the first week:

2 humpback whales (plus one unidentified whale)

20 dolphins

seals

penguins

lots and lots of albatross

other sea birds (petrels, terns, shearwaters)

bioluminescent algae at night

flying fish ( I thought they were small birds at first!)

One meteorite lighting up the whole night sky-possibly falling into the ocean

I really feel like I have the best job in the world right now.