This scene does not show how enthralled we are with this passage of the Drake. Note that there are not 50' towering seas, that the wind is not ripping the crests off the waves, and that there are guests out enjoying the ride. The Drake Passage is one of the most severe bodies of water in the Southern Ocean if not the world. The westerly winds blow without obstruction round and round Antarctica pushing the sea into bigger and bigger swells. One always hopes for tranquil seas like the ones we are experiencing, but it is only luck that gives us this comfortable ride.

There have been 4-6 wandering albatrosses and other sea birds following the ship. Albatrosses have the ability to stay aloft with only small subtle movements of their wings. They glide down into the higher-pressure area of air being pushed along by the swells. Here they gain lift that pushes them up higher than the point from where they started their descent. Back and forth across the stern they sail to drop against another swell or to take advantage of extra lift they can gain from wind blowing around and over the ship. Their narrow wingspans are superbly adapted to this style of flight, called dynamic soaring.

This voyage has a special focus on photography. Dynamic soaring, the large size of an albatross, the predictability of the back and forth motion, and stable decks are making for perfect photographic opportunities on this glorious day.