Hey True Blue! It’s ‘Straya Day! (Written on Jan 26, 2014)
So angry! “Who peed on your cornflakes this morning?”
Photo credit M. Jenner
It’s January 26, it’s Australia Day! G’Day cobber! With a slightly damp start, light rain helped to move the salt encrusted on the deck from the rough seas of the last week. As my night watch wore on, heavier rain fell and that nice pitter-patter sound on the deck turned to a more splatter-splatter. The deck-washers will be happy for the help from the skies above! I watched the rain on the RADAR forming one blob at a time to our southwest, until after half an hour or so, a red mass half the size of the screen was over the top of us and pelting down.
To celebrate Australia Day we have decided to take Aussie handles and thus please welcome… Curto, Dazza, Simo, Samo, Fordo, Tazza, Robbo, Rusty and Micho! MEET THE CREW of 39-o SOUTH-o! An intrepid lot, we have braved the elements (cold, snow, wind and rain) and the Southern Ocean seas and swells and now are about to complete our third circum-navigation of Australia, this last one taking in the Australian Antarctic Territories as well!
With more Pygmy blue whale and Antarctic blue whale calls detected on the evening sonobuoy deployment, we are buoyant (haha!) that this is where the blues are right now! Collecting left lateral body, right lateral body and fluke photographs of each individual, we have a computer archival and matching catalogue of 230 pygmy blue whales photographed in the Perth Canyon since 1999. We are keen to enter the pygmy blue whale left lateral body photo taken yesterday, into our database to see if we have seen this individual before!
The sun is shining and at 1000 we crossed out of the Roaring Forties into 39 degrees South. The blue waves and the puffy, cumulus-filled sky made us feel more tropical than ever! Hardly, in the tropics, however, all things are relative – we are discovering.
Noon Observations Jan 26, 2014 AUSTRALIA DAY MATE!
Lat/Long: 390 52.9S 1190 14.5 E
Dry Bulb Temp: 17.50C
Wet Bulb Temp: 15.00C
SST (Sea Surface Temp): 17.40C
COG (Course Over the Ground): 3240
SOG (Speed Over the Ground): 7.2 knots
Barometer: 1011 hPa (I must apologise to Mr. Pascal, this is the correct symbol)
Beaufort SS (Sea State): 5
WS (Wind Speed): 17-20 knots
WD (Wind Direction): WSW
Swell: SW 2 m
Wildlife: Shy Albatross, Flesh-footed shearwaters, 2 Antarctic minke whales (cow/calf)
WT: JQS – 8
Antarctic Fact: Antarctica’s most important holiday is the winter solstice, or Midwinter’s Day (June 21 or 22, depending on the year), when the long polar night – with its’ darkness and extreme cold is half over. It is traditionally celebrated with fancy dress, feasting, gift-giving, games, barbecuing, karaoke, magazine publishing, wine tasting, songs, showing of old film footage from the film library and theatrical performances. Winter stations send each other radio messages and email photo card and national leaders often send congratulatory messages to their polar denizens.
Antarctic Slang: dieso – (Australian) mechanic, usually diesel.
We are back in Shy Albatross country!
Photo credit M. Jenner
Lunch was a veritable smorgasbord from Rusty’s galley! While I did the mid-day weather observations he brought me not one, but two bowls of deliciousness! First hot roast chicken atop couscous, baguette and red cabbage/cashew/carrot salad and then beef stew also with couscous! Next, to celebrate Australia Day we were treated to very tasty homemade ANZAC biscuits from Tazza’s pantry! Chewy and jam-packed with all things good, sugar, salt and butter, they were more-ish and perfect with coffee! These kept me awake and with a full belly, for all of my three hours of afternoon Whale Song watch! Thank you Tazza!
What are the differences and similarities between the Antarctic blue whales and the Pygmy Blue whales we have seen? Both are in the Family Balaenopteridae, meaning they possess and use baleen for filtering krill when feeding, but separating them into two sub-species there are some physical features that can be recognised with a careful eye, even while at sea. The larger of the two, the Antarctic blue whale, has a smaller rostrum (from the tip of the head to the blowholes) relative to the body, a more tapered head and a longer caudal peduncle, the region between the dorsal fin and the tail stock. In comparison, the Pygmy Blue has a longer rostrum, a more round-shaped head and a shorter and stockier caudal peduncle. They both have pale blue pigmentation and are covered in light blue, soft-edged blotches. Most of these blotches are the healed scars of cookie-cutter shark bites all over their lateral flanks, from the pectoral fins to the tail stock. Their skin is puckered and not at all smooth. They look as though they have been through the wars and in fact, they have!
The numerical descriptions regarding blue whales included in yesterdays’ blog (Day 27) were taken from Roger Payne’s book, Among Whales. This is a wonderful account of Roger and his family’s discoveries and their life among whales. Roger writes beautifully and interestingly, I thoroughly recommend reading this work.
A photo from the Perth Canyon of a Pygmy Blue whale – note the rounded rostrum.
Photo credit M. Jenner
Afternoon bird observations, taken while looking for cetaceans, included the same 3 to 5 Shy Albatross and 8 to 12 Flesh-footed shearwaters that circled us since breakfast! We are now in the Shy Albatross zone, the 40 and 39 degree bracket. I remark about this over and over, but I do really enjoy the localised nature of distribution of flora and fauna. This is the basis of ecology.
“This sea doesn’t look like the Southern Ocean” Dazza commented when he came into the wheelhouse to begin his watch at 3pm. And indeed, it did feel and look different. A bright blue sky with scattered cumulus cloud and bright blue water (of course, the reflection of the sky) with wind waves and swell from the west, presented more of a tropical feel, not unlike a typical north-west Australian day.
At the end of the observation day, while celebrating in the wheelhouse a blow was sighted. On deck we could see there were two Minke whales, most likely a cow and calf. They were in a hurry and waves were rough but we were able to identify them as Minkes. One cetacean pod a day, yahoo!
Over dinner, while enjoying Filipino Beef Afritada, rice, couscous and salad we discussed, briefly I might add, what makes us “proud to be an Australian”. Just being cas (short for casual), was the ambient answer, without words, to be noted! Not a nation to elaborate or articulate well, the grins had it! Instead, Curto asked us to remember one-liners from Australian pollies. We decided Bob Hawkes’ was the best, regarding the America’s Cup win! The Australian flag printed serviettes entertained all of the dinner crew! All varieties of ‘scarf’, ‘hat’ and even face ‘tattoos’ were tried, worn and photographed by Russo! Frozen bananas, vanilla ice cream and chocolate delighted for dessert, as always!
With the promise of being in Australian waters tomorrow, mate!
Mich
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