This past week I have noticed large amounts of these fabulous flyers all heading in the same direction - North. The Great Shearwater follows a circular pattern during the year on its migration route. It flies north along the east coast of the southern and then northern continent of America and then makes its way across the North Atlantic in August to Ireland and Britain where it can be seen off the south-west coasts.
What's unusual about this migration is that it is one of only a few bird species to migrate from its breeding grounds in the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere whereas most other species do it the opposite way round. Eventually it makes it's way down south again along the eastern side of the Atlantic.
Watching them fly is really impressive. They "shear" from side to side following the contours of the waves and swells, every now and again popping up in the turns, before bringing the lower wing to within a hairs breadth of the water or even slightly dipping the tip.
They feed by plunge diving for fish and squid. An interesting note about this is I have seen Magnificent Frigatebirds chase them until they drop into the water This activity, according to a comment left on my Flickr site by Jorn Ake may be a tactic to chase the GS until it regurgitates its food which the MF (no pun intended) then can take. Perhaps it's fear on behalf of the GS or lightening the load in its belly.
It's great to see bird migrations to get a feel for the scope of nature. If you think about it, the straight line distances, which of course they would not necessarily take and so fly longer distances, are:
Rio de Janeiro to New York: 7757 km (4820 miles)
New York to Cork Ireland: 5003 km (3109 miles)
Cork to Cape Town: 9895 km (6149 miles)
Cape Town to Rio De Janeiro: 6062 km (3767) miles
TOTAL: 28717 km (17845 miles)
As I said, that's a straight line distance between these cities which are near their route, not taking in to account the big bulges of northern South America or the bulge of West Africa. You could probably add on another third of the distance again and maybe round it off at 38000 km or 24000 miles. Not quite enough to get a silver card for Air France but an impressive distance to do in a year, whilst also allowing some time out for breeding on the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.
Now that's some journey!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Contractual Racism
I found out just the other day that this could be my new boat. I just recently transferred out of Infield Data Processing to become a Field Geophysicist which meant moving 2 chairs down the bench but doing a job that is not so narrow in scope as processing. Field Geo takes all the information of the acquisition, navigation and makes sure all is good and acceptable for acceptance by the clients. It's a broader scope which fits in more with my general knowledge of seismic.
I had hoped to stay with my boss Steve and learn from his almost 30 years in the industry before crewing even thought of giving me my own boat. Now I find out, the last to know naturally, that after two and a half weeks in my new role I am possibly to be made the head honcho on this bulbous "beauty??", named after an explorer, Amundsen, who, whilst I admire his achievements (first through the NW Passage, first to the South Pole) I do not admire as a person. I never met the guy but can have an opinion right? I've read enough about him.Seems like he was a bit of a git.
The reason for the transfer is not due to my superb abilities, I know, I know, I'm brilliant, but legal aspects of our contract here in Brasil. To get work down in Brazil, the government insists that after a certain period of time we must have 30% Brazilians on the crew. After a year 60%!! This happened in Mexico also.
I remember well the day when a Mexicano official came on board and said what a great day for Mexico it was and how thrilled they were that we were there. Then he proceeded to say how they would be having 50% of the crew Mexican. We were aghast. What about us? So we got Mexicans. Trainees all of them. We trained them up and 2 years later when the ship left Mexico they all left the boat. So much time training them to a point where they were useful and then we go to Canada and they all bog off.
It's the same down here in Brazil. We get these trainees who speak poor English, so not only do we have to train them in the ways of seismic but also how to communicate. Most are here in a specific program lasting 3 years after which they will probably go in to the office on shore. 3 years of training them about seismic, the sea and English. Most don't even try to integrate into the crew. One in particular has no interest in being on the boat and can't wait to leave.
So back to me. Because the Amundsen is off to the North Sea and have a Brazilian Field Geo who is only there for percentages, the Neptune has two of the same grade and a new-hire Brazilian with a cocky attitude and airs and graces about himself that he's a brilliant geophysicist who can recite formulae but needs to cut and paste from Wikipedia for his training modules, I get shoved off. Shoved off the Neptune??? I have been on here for 8 years. I am one of three on this crew who have stayed since the beginning. I loaded gear, bolted monitors, ran network cables and overseen upgrades in dock. I have been through a lot on here. It is my second home, and now crewing behind my back are surreptitiously moving me to a smaller, uglier boat. I don't care if it's new. The Explorer class boats SUCK according to anyone who has been on them. And why? Because of my ethnicity? My 'misfortune' not to be Brazilian? Just Google "little brazil gort". I believe Brazilians were welcomed with open arms in Ireland. Well I'm up in arms in Brazil agus sin e.
I had hoped to stay with my boss Steve and learn from his almost 30 years in the industry before crewing even thought of giving me my own boat. Now I find out, the last to know naturally, that after two and a half weeks in my new role I am possibly to be made the head honcho on this bulbous "beauty??", named after an explorer, Amundsen, who, whilst I admire his achievements (first through the NW Passage, first to the South Pole) I do not admire as a person. I never met the guy but can have an opinion right? I've read enough about him.Seems like he was a bit of a git.
The reason for the transfer is not due to my superb abilities, I know, I know, I'm brilliant, but legal aspects of our contract here in Brasil. To get work down in Brazil, the government insists that after a certain period of time we must have 30% Brazilians on the crew. After a year 60%!! This happened in Mexico also.
I remember well the day when a Mexicano official came on board and said what a great day for Mexico it was and how thrilled they were that we were there. Then he proceeded to say how they would be having 50% of the crew Mexican. We were aghast. What about us? So we got Mexicans. Trainees all of them. We trained them up and 2 years later when the ship left Mexico they all left the boat. So much time training them to a point where they were useful and then we go to Canada and they all bog off.
It's the same down here in Brazil. We get these trainees who speak poor English, so not only do we have to train them in the ways of seismic but also how to communicate. Most are here in a specific program lasting 3 years after which they will probably go in to the office on shore. 3 years of training them about seismic, the sea and English. Most don't even try to integrate into the crew. One in particular has no interest in being on the boat and can't wait to leave.
So back to me. Because the Amundsen is off to the North Sea and have a Brazilian Field Geo who is only there for percentages, the Neptune has two of the same grade and a new-hire Brazilian with a cocky attitude and airs and graces about himself that he's a brilliant geophysicist who can recite formulae but needs to cut and paste from Wikipedia for his training modules, I get shoved off. Shoved off the Neptune??? I have been on here for 8 years. I am one of three on this crew who have stayed since the beginning. I loaded gear, bolted monitors, ran network cables and overseen upgrades in dock. I have been through a lot on here. It is my second home, and now crewing behind my back are surreptitiously moving me to a smaller, uglier boat. I don't care if it's new. The Explorer class boats SUCK according to anyone who has been on them. And why? Because of my ethnicity? My 'misfortune' not to be Brazilian? Just Google "little brazil gort". I believe Brazilians were welcomed with open arms in Ireland. Well I'm up in arms in Brazil agus sin e.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Magdalena - One Year On
We've all heard about ships cats, pirates parrots and rats leaving a sinking ship. It's not always man who goes to sea. Ships cats and pirates parrots mostly had no choice, rats just wanted free food. Of course in the case of the cats it's bad luck to kick a cat off a boat, it should always leave by it's own free will.
When the boat was in the Gulf of Mexico, a pigeon joined the crew, and stayed on during the transit down to Brasil. It had two rings on it at the start, which lead me to believe it was a racing pigeon. One ring was yellow, which is now lost, and the other, metallic, has the markings "FCC 014685" and the year 2008. Research into what these markings mean has revealed that she is in fact from a Cuban pigeon racers flock.
It quickly became apparent "it" was a "she" after a small nest was found in the navigation frame with three wee eggs. Having settled in so well, and with the deck crew feeding her, the eggs hatched and three young chicks appeared. On arrival in Rio de Janeiro, the three left the vessel, but Mom declined the chance of a new life in the tropics and stayed aboard. She has been here ever since and become an accepted member of the crew,
Magdalena, in fact, takes an observatory role in all operations on the boat and loves to be around people. When there are crane ops she will strut about the shipments as though checking the slinging and address labels. When there is back deck work, she will walk about the work area, hop on cables and snooze on toolboxes. Her favourite perch is on the lee-side sill of the bridge windows.
Her diet consists of bread crumbs from buns, lentils and whatever seeds can be got from the galley stores. She always has a dish of water. When the deck crew hose down the deck she has a wash or in the cooling water pool on top of the paint store. She did pick up a limp at one point but appears to have recovered from that. It would seem that her weight dropped somehwat over the year, but not dangerously so. She stills flies about and will do the odd circuit of the vessel on calmer days.
Although not on the crew list, I think the captain has finally accepted the fact even though she craps all over the boat, she is a proper Neptunian.
When the boat was in the Gulf of Mexico, a pigeon joined the crew, and stayed on during the transit down to Brasil. It had two rings on it at the start, which lead me to believe it was a racing pigeon. One ring was yellow, which is now lost, and the other, metallic, has the markings "FCC 014685" and the year 2008. Research into what these markings mean has revealed that she is in fact from a Cuban pigeon racers flock.
It quickly became apparent "it" was a "she" after a small nest was found in the navigation frame with three wee eggs. Having settled in so well, and with the deck crew feeding her, the eggs hatched and three young chicks appeared. On arrival in Rio de Janeiro, the three left the vessel, but Mom declined the chance of a new life in the tropics and stayed aboard. She has been here ever since and become an accepted member of the crew,
Magdalena, in fact, takes an observatory role in all operations on the boat and loves to be around people. When there are crane ops she will strut about the shipments as though checking the slinging and address labels. When there is back deck work, she will walk about the work area, hop on cables and snooze on toolboxes. Her favourite perch is on the lee-side sill of the bridge windows.
Her diet consists of bread crumbs from buns, lentils and whatever seeds can be got from the galley stores. She always has a dish of water. When the deck crew hose down the deck she has a wash or in the cooling water pool on top of the paint store. She did pick up a limp at one point but appears to have recovered from that. It would seem that her weight dropped somehwat over the year, but not dangerously so. She stills flies about and will do the odd circuit of the vessel on calmer days.
Although not on the crew list, I think the captain has finally accepted the fact even though she craps all over the boat, she is a proper Neptunian.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Crash Landing on Neptune
At the start of the trip we were on the back deck deploying our streamers. Suddenly during the night something akin to a small aeroplane came careering in towards the back deck and rather inelegantly flopped down on to the deck where we were working. Realising that it was not about to take off anytime soon it settled in under the transom on a bit of plywood for the night. It really wasn't all that bothered by the fact we were passing it and moving chains, ropes and winches by it and only ever got to it's feet a few times when someone approached too close.
It was decided during the night that for it's own safety we would remove it to an upper deck where when the mood took it it could fly off. Of course it needs either wind or a drop to take off so we figured it would be for the best. Like Magdalena, our resident pigeon, it obviously felt like enjoying the break from flying and sat on deck for the rest of the day. When I went back the next day it was gone.
What was interesting about this bird was the way it has grooves down it's beak from the nostrils along which salt water flows. Seemingly this is how it removes salt from it's body. Whilst it was on the plywood board it gathered quite a pool under the tip of it's beak.
We see quite a few of these down here in Brasil but generally from a distance. It was great to get so close to one. It's plumage is exquisite around it's head and neck; soft and fluffy. It's beak is enormous. I was just sorry that it wasn't an adult with the fantastically bright yellow stripe down the centre-top of it's beak.
It was decided during the night that for it's own safety we would remove it to an upper deck where when the mood took it it could fly off. Of course it needs either wind or a drop to take off so we figured it would be for the best. Like Magdalena, our resident pigeon, it obviously felt like enjoying the break from flying and sat on deck for the rest of the day. When I went back the next day it was gone.
What was interesting about this bird was the way it has grooves down it's beak from the nostrils along which salt water flows. Seemingly this is how it removes salt from it's body. Whilst it was on the plywood board it gathered quite a pool under the tip of it's beak.
We see quite a few of these down here in Brasil but generally from a distance. It was great to get so close to one. It's plumage is exquisite around it's head and neck; soft and fluffy. It's beak is enormous. I was just sorry that it wasn't an adult with the fantastically bright yellow stripe down the centre-top of it's beak.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Rio to Macae - Crew Change Day
Crew change this week. Flew into Rio on Monday night and stayed at the Luxor Hotel in the airport. Sounds better than it is. Certainly no palace. For a start it has no windows, second it's in an airport and third has only 3 English speaking channels but a squillion Portuguese channels which are either football or crap talk shows.
The next day we left for Macae. The journey takes you near downtown.
Rio de Janeiro from the Rio–Niterói Bridge
They are working on the airport, road, everything for the forthcoming Olympics in 2016. One can't get the feeling that there is a bit of sweeping under the carpet though. As many are aware, Brasil is a country of huge contrasts between rich and poor. The poor live in favelas which, if they are at the side of the road, create a bad impression.
So what do you do? Why, you hide the slums behind sound barriers...
Of course some people live in the green belt way outside on the edges of Niteroi.
Some even have nice water views.
Meanwhile those with the cash can be the proud owner of one of these new cars. All they need are the windows to be tinted so the roadside hijackers can't see in.
Others can do their DIY shopping at Leroy Merlin or get all their food at Carrefour.
Oh well, there is still hope I guess for this beautiful, if somewhat disturbingly juxtaposed country.
The next day we left for Macae. The journey takes you near downtown.
Rio de Janeiro from the Rio–Niterói Bridge
So what do you do? Why, you hide the slums behind sound barriers...
Of course some people live in the green belt way outside on the edges of Niteroi.
Some even have nice water views.
Meanwhile those with the cash can be the proud owner of one of these new cars. All they need are the windows to be tinted so the roadside hijackers can't see in.
Others can do their DIY shopping at Leroy Merlin or get all their food at Carrefour.
Oh well, there is still hope I guess for this beautiful, if somewhat disturbingly juxtaposed country.
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