Wildlife at Sea
One question I've often been asked is did you see much wildlife at sea? The answer to that is a definite Yes! You would not get to see much in such places as the North Atlantic, however the South Atlantic was a completely different story. There was nothing more restful after a hard day's graft than to go up and sit on deck at dead of night to enjoy the gentle breeze, follow the motion of the ship and watch for fellow travellers.
Over the side, probably the most common sight would be flying-fish, with their fins briefly highlighted as they catch light from the open portholes. Then there would be porpoises and dolphins that were able to follow the bow of the ship with what seemed such effortless ease.
As for whales, well in 1958, on her crossing from Durban to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, Caronia actually collided side-on to a whale! Events like this, and of course, the dramatic accident at Yokohama during the same cruise gave rise to a commonly held belief on board that, “…this ship will never reach the breakers yard!” - which prophetically, she didn't!
It's an Albatross!
I suppose the “holy grail” of wildlife sights at sea must be the albatross. I did begin to wonder if I'd ever see one. Even when I did, it took a little while for the penny to drop. Two days out from Hawaii and there's talk of a seabird following us.
[Photo: © Peter Stevens - 1966 Gt World Cruise]
We were sailing toward Long Beach, when it suddenly appeared off the port side aft, clearly visible from the garden lounge. This bird followed us for a full day, so I had plenty of time to go and fetch my camera.
What an amazing sight! It had positioned itself so that it could slip-stream us, barely moving its wings as it hitched its free ride. The treasured picture is seen above, taken at approx. 3pm on 19 April 1966.
If you can contribute any information, do please get in touch…
