Third day of morning wildlife watch. So far just 3 unidentified birds. Seas have been moderately rough and skies overcast. But there was a rainbow!
One of our enrichment programs--La Vuelta-- explained why Magellan's ships went around the world rather than to India and back as was planned. Once in the Spice Islands area his ships could not find any easterly winds so his ships continued west. Later, since Portugal controlled the waters around the Spice Islands and to the west, Spain wanted to find a way to sail across the Pacific to the Spice Island area and back east across the Pacific to Mexico and then Spain. It took 5 failed expeditions (the ships were lost, the sailors died en route or the Portuguese captured them because they gave up and sailed west) for someone (Lope Martin--a freed slave we've never heard of) to find the easterly winds at the higher latitudes. What they don't teach you in history books!
Russell Lee, who presented the program is an award winning writer. Among other things he has done world wide training for Hewlett-Packard. I can attest that he is a fantastic speaker.Read more
North Pacific Ocean22°25’0” N 139°4’0” W
North Pacific Ocean22°25’0” N 139°4’0” W