We welcomed another day with sunny weather and temps in the 60's. That chill in the air was close to being gone when we stepped out on the promenade deck around 10am. During the night, the ship had gone out of the series of islands, and sailed north in the rolling seas of the Pacific Ocean. Some folks must have asked why we did not have the scenic cruising of two glaciers yesterday. The answer came with Captain Jonathon's PM talk. His explanation was that in order to follow the printed itinerary, it really would have taken an extra day to see all that was listed. We needed to go out to sea to gain the distance we had already lost. That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. The way we see it, the viewing of Glacier Alley after leaving Ushuaia was more than ample. This was as good as it got.
All was not lost, as there were sightings of a pod of fin whales feeding quite near the ship. These baleen whales are the second largest of the whales after the blue whale. With a length of 88 feet, and the weight of 130 tons, they would be hard to miss. Did you know that the fin whale is capable of taking 18,000 gallons of krill-filled sea water in one gulp? They can live from 85 to 90 years, and are endangered. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 left worldwide. It was a treat to be able to see them, but the sightings are unlike seeing humpbacks, as the fin whales do not dive deep with their tails showing. They stay more on the surface, and can gain speeds of 21 mph.
Most of the morning was dedicated to working with the head IT manager, who was not altogether successful with resolving our computer dilemma. Frustrating is a good word to describe this situation, since it has never occurred to us before this. We know that many of the passengers as well as crew members have run into the same problem, but they are going onshore to get their emails received and sent.
Getting back to the Captain's talk, he read a letter sent from Seattle concerning a Coronavirus Health Advisory. It went into detail about how the virus can be spread, and the measures HAL is taking to prevent further exposure to this potentially deadly flu. Working with the CDC and WHO, many steps have been implemented as far as who boards our ship, who goes home, and who may already have flu symptoms not related to corona. And the message once again reminded all of us of personal hygiene, and how important it is to wash or hands or use hand sanitizer. There is still a possibility that the ship may be denied entry into countries we have yet to visit. Time will tell…..
With that, we went to lunch in the Lido, washing our hands before and afterwards. Shortly after, the scenic sailing began as the Captain turned the ship east, and back into the series of islands. Going up to the bow, we discovered that it was beautiful out there. Very little breeze, and lots of sun made this the perfect spot for seeing it all. Heading into Ninualak Channel, we went between two large islands, where some fish farms were situated near the shoreline. Eventually, the deeper we got into the channel, the more we saw. A total of four in fact. Several had houses, or sheds, and boat houses nearby. More than likely, these floating growing areas are for salmon.
These bays and inlets have always been known to have whales like the fins, humpbacks, and even the blue whales. Although we did not stay for the entire scenic sailing, we highly doubt anyone saw a blue whale. We would have heard about it. Deeper into the channel, we saw many flocks of sooty shearwaters, birds that measure 17 inches long, and weigh under 2 pounds. Their wingspan is 39 inches, and these birds will often sit in the water in "rafts". That is, they look like a raft. These birds will dig burrows underground, then lay their eggs there. This protects the chicks from the predators, like kelp gulls and skuas. They will migrate from Antarctica, north to Japan. A typical migration path would take them in a figure eight pattern in the Pacific Ocean, which can potentially take 40,000 miles to complete. That is unbelievable.
Doing some research, we figured the small birds flying over the waters yesterday may have been the common diving petrels. They will leave footprints in the water as they attempt to fly. And they also are known to dive under water, almost like flying under water.
Later in the day, we all got certificates for sailing to Antarctica, around Cape Horn, and traversing the Chilean Fjords. Two more to add to our collection.
Dinner time was gala, with the company of Spa Manager, Renee, our friend for many years. She knows all of us well, and was happy to join us. Of course, most everyone appreciated the wine that always accompanies our hosts. In lieu of wine, we could have had Coke Zero, but we declined. Ice water was fine. The theme for this evening was "Paparazzi Dinner" referring to the upcoming Oscars. Actually, the best-dressed people were the crew, who were decked out in gold-sequined vests and bow ties. Entrees included lobster tails, bacon-wrapped tenderloin, and halibut with crab on the side. Everyone said theirs was the best, but the fish entrée got the thumbs up. You think we may be tired of it, but the carrot cake for dessert was a winner once again. We adjourned by 10pm, a bit late for the show of the musical artist, Kenny Martyn. He will be back for one more performance, and we can attend then.
Tomorrow's port will be Puerto Montt, which will require a tender boat ride to shore. And since tomorrow is a Sunday, it will be interesting to see what is opened.
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Report # 94 Day at Sea Scenic Cruising Chilean Fjords February 8, 2020 Saturday Sunny & 63 degrees
