Captain's Cocktail Party

So what else have I been up to today?

I attended the 9.45am lecture on "Ocean Wanderers" given by our resident ornithologist, Will Wagstaff (from Wales!), learning all about the sea birds that often follow the ship. Later on in the morning I went up to the rear of the ship at deck 6 and had a look at the many giant petrels and occasional wandering albatrosses that were following the ship. Unfortunately most of them were too far back to get a decent photo.

After a buffet lunch in the restaurant we went to get our waterproof boots checked out and tagged. Then I attended an afternoon lecture about penguins given by Dr Danae Sheehan (from York). I did learn the fascinating fact that the word penguin comes from the Welsh words "pen" and "gwyn" meaning "white head".  It is mentioned in the logs from the Golden Hind (it's the Drake passage remember!)  that the Welsh sailors aboard the ship had caught several of these birds for eating and had called them Pen Gwyn.

This evening we went to the Captain's cocktail party and Welcome dinner. Another evening of having glasses of champagne thrust at me.  I have tried to be more circumspect about my alcohol intake today though.

The Captain says that this is the calmest crossing of the Drake they have had all season. Based on the map on channel 1 of the TV (which tracks where the ship is right now) we look to be making excellent progress.  Tomorrow morning we have to attend Zodiac training, so they can show us how to get in/out of the landing craft.