At Sea/Chile
Sea days are often viewed as “a day of rest” and recovery after previous days of activity and on shore experiences. However, at sea days do not mean nothing is happening. Today we were within the upwelling zone of the Humboldt Current. This region along the west coast of South America has one of the highest productivity levels of any ocean region in the world. Historically it has been one of the largest commercial fisheries in the world, anchovies and jack mackerel being the main catches. Over the last centuries the products from these fish have included not only a food source for people but also for livestock, particularly chickens and most recently farmed fish. Masses of fish have also been used to produce fertilizer. As we cruised along the coast, clumps of purse seiners were working their nets or moving to find more fish schools. Some of us were surprised by the appearance of a different kind of fish, one that sprang from the water in its attempt to get away from our speedy vessel. One thinks of flying fish as being in warm tropical waters. The Humboldt Current is primarily a cold water current due to deep ocean waters being brought to the surface. But large flying fish were spotted by patient observers throughout the morning
These working boats however did not seem to attract seabirds like they often do. The birds were busier searching on their own over the calm surface waters of the morning. A surprising variety of oceanic wandering seabirds were spotted during the day, including the Markham’s Storm-Petrel. Dodging back and forth in front of and off the sides of the ship this small tubenose seabird is a mystery to science as its main nesting area is still unknown. Very few nests have ever been located, yet it occurs in numbers scattered all through the region of the Humboldt Current.
Later in the day a whale was briefly spotted and the best guess of the staff was a Bryde’s Whale. This is a tropical species of baleen whale that is very difficult to get repeated looks of. Throughout the day between sightings of wildlife we could see the rugged coastline in the distance off the port side of the ship. A breeze kicked up white caps in the afternoon but that is normal for the coast where the cold sea meets the desert of the Atacama. By evening the foggy clouds, or “chamaca” as it is locally called, had burned off and we were treated to a lovely sunset end of the day.
Sea days are often viewed as “a day of rest” and recovery after previous days of activity and on shore experiences. However, at sea days do not mean nothing is happening. Today we were within the upwelling zone of the Humboldt Current. This region along the west coast of South America has one of the highest productivity levels of any ocean region in the world. Historically it has been one of the largest commercial fisheries in the world, anchovies and jack mackerel being the main catches. Over the last centuries the products from these fish have included not only a food source for people but also for livestock, particularly chickens and most recently farmed fish. Masses of fish have also been used to produce fertilizer. As we cruised along the coast, clumps of purse seiners were working their nets or moving to find more fish schools. Some of us were surprised by the appearance of a different kind of fish, one that sprang from the water in its attempt to get away from our speedy vessel. One thinks of flying fish as being in warm tropical waters. The Humboldt Current is primarily a cold water current due to deep ocean waters being brought to the surface. But large flying fish were spotted by patient observers throughout the morning
These working boats however did not seem to attract seabirds like they often do. The birds were busier searching on their own over the calm surface waters of the morning. A surprising variety of oceanic wandering seabirds were spotted during the day, including the Markham’s Storm-Petrel. Dodging back and forth in front of and off the sides of the ship this small tubenose seabird is a mystery to science as its main nesting area is still unknown. Very few nests have ever been located, yet it occurs in numbers scattered all through the region of the Humboldt Current.
Later in the day a whale was briefly spotted and the best guess of the staff was a Bryde’s Whale. This is a tropical species of baleen whale that is very difficult to get repeated looks of. Throughout the day between sightings of wildlife we could see the rugged coastline in the distance off the port side of the ship. A breeze kicked up white caps in the afternoon but that is normal for the coast where the cold sea meets the desert of the Atacama. By evening the foggy clouds, or “chamaca” as it is locally called, had burned off and we were treated to a lovely sunset end of the day.
