Travel and Photography
The wondrous day of the albatrosses was a day to remember for ever. As we travelled north and the days cooled the wild-life changed. We lost the boobies but we gained Giant Petrels. With their seven foot wingspan they were impressive birds but I wanted to see the fabled albatross. The desire was like a weight around my neck. I ached to get a single good photo of a real albatross. They were like fabled beasts.
We saw a number of them in the distance, gliding on the wind and then a few settled on the water looking like overgrown gulls, but never one close up. I was beginning to think it would never happen. But then the most incredible event occurred.
I had my breakfast and went out of deck to find there were five or six great southern albatrosses riding the strong breeze alongside the ship. My wish had come true. I studied these magnificent birds with delight as they effortlessly stretched out their eleven foot wings and instinctive felt the nuance of the breeze. Hundreds of miles from land these incredible birds were masters of the currents in the air. Like huge organic gliders they responded to every gust and intuitively adjusted feathers and wing to control their flight. It was awe-inspiring to witness.
They were awesome.
As the day wore on the number of these beautiful birds increased. It seemed that every albatross in the whole southern hemisphere was making a bee-line for our ship. They swooped over the deck so close you felt you could reach out and touch them. They hung in the air matching their speed to that of the ship so that they appeared stationary. They swooped and rose on invisible roller-coasters in our wake.
More and more appeared until the sky behind the boat was a mass of wheeling birds.
I could not believe it. They did not appear to be feeding. They just had come together in an orgy of motion. Unlike the boobies they were not using us as a source of food. Perhaps it was just curiosity?
All day they were with us. I estimate that their numbers were in hundreds. I not only had my desire but something that was almost unbelievable. I asked the bird-folk. They all assured me that they had never seen or heard of anything quite so incredible.
The day of the albatrosses was a wondrous spectacle of the kind that you only get to witness once in a lifetime. I was sure glad that I had been there when it happened.
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