At sea

We are in the midst of a 6 day passage across the Atlantic passing over the equator and it seems strange to say that the nearest land is 3 miles away; straight down. One wonders what sea life is below us while we spend some time every day gazing at the mesmerizing splashes and water patterns created by the boat and looking for evidence of marine life.

We have seen surfacing whales and whale spouts including the distinctive dorsal fins of killer whales, especially in the sea off Cape Town. Porpoise are also relatively common as they like to play in the wake of the boat, using the ship’s wake to help them leap into the air. Two days ago we saw a group of 50 porpoises swimming parallel with the ship for about 10 minutes. Who knows what they were doing.

We also sometimes see seals. The smaller species slip and twist through the water while we are in port as though showing off for our entertainment. The larger species surprise us in the middle of crossings, looking like floating logs with distorted stumps of branches as they lay on their backs with their fins sticking up in the air.

Our favorite sea animal is the flying fish since they are most often seen and their enthusiastic flights generate oohs, aahs and cheers much like that of fireworks. There are different species in various locations on our journey and the sizes range from 6” to almost a foot. The colors vary as well and the flying fish we are seeing now remind us of timber swallows with dark blue backs and white bellies.

Their performance is the real attractant, however. Toward the bow of the ship they shoot out of the water, usually individually but sometimes in schools numbering over a hundred and glide about 1-4 feet above the water surface. The lower fin of their tail is much longer than the upper and this allows them to create fresh propulsion as they vigorously wiggle their tails when they encounter wave tops, all while remaining airborne. Some go 20 yards then disappear into the water but others will go well over 100 yards, assisted by two or three extra pushes while gliding along. Our cabin balcony is relatively close to the water surface (the cheap seats) so we see the tail wiggles of these sprites quite well.Read more