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.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Irony:
1. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
2.An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
Our new man in the room here tries hard but my chest is beginning to feel constricted from all the polite "heh-heh's" that I give him. Why don't yanks have a concept or grasp of irony. Now I am not saying that we as Europeans have a better grasp of it, but in the multicultural melting pot that is the Western Neptune, we do use it better and it makes sense. Myself and Stef exchange quips and comments all the time, but then Mr. T's contribution is just like uh, ok, eh, yeah. Either get it right or don't.
The main problem of course is not just how it is used but when and how often. I have asked questions and nearly everytime he answers it's with "irony". Now I know he's trying, he's trying to be funny, I'm wanting a proper seismic/geophysical answer. I pretend to take him seriously and ask him when this last was seen by him and of course there is nothing worse than having to say "No, I'm just joking/being ironic. I don't actually know or have never seen that." Not that my time is precious but continuous arsing is a bit much. Am I too cynical?
Maybe he is just a dry (and in his own words) white-trash Texan....or maybe that's Texan style. Look at Bush. Do people laugh at his jokes or do they just laugh at Bush trying to be funny?
Which brings me on to another point. Myself and Stef have decided that tomorrow the 24th December 2005 is a "Lent Day" which shall also be known as "No Bitching Day". We're not sure how we will handle this. It could/will be as hard as giving up cigarrettes. Certainly if you heard the amount that's been said of the other crew over the past few days you would realise this. I have put up a sign to remind me (Oh God he's done it again......not funny) about this. Pray for us. We are the master bitchers and need all the help we can get.
1. The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
2.An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning.
Our new man in the room here tries hard but my chest is beginning to feel constricted from all the polite "heh-heh's" that I give him. Why don't yanks have a concept or grasp of irony. Now I am not saying that we as Europeans have a better grasp of it, but in the multicultural melting pot that is the Western Neptune, we do use it better and it makes sense. Myself and Stef exchange quips and comments all the time, but then Mr. T's contribution is just like uh, ok, eh, yeah. Either get it right or don't.
The main problem of course is not just how it is used but when and how often. I have asked questions and nearly everytime he answers it's with "irony". Now I know he's trying, he's trying to be funny, I'm wanting a proper seismic/geophysical answer. I pretend to take him seriously and ask him when this last was seen by him and of course there is nothing worse than having to say "No, I'm just joking/being ironic. I don't actually know or have never seen that." Not that my time is precious but continuous arsing is a bit much. Am I too cynical?
Maybe he is just a dry (and in his own words) white-trash Texan....or maybe that's Texan style. Look at Bush. Do people laugh at his jokes or do they just laugh at Bush trying to be funny?
Which brings me on to another point. Myself and Stef have decided that tomorrow the 24th December 2005 is a "Lent Day" which shall also be known as "No Bitching Day". We're not sure how we will handle this. It could/will be as hard as giving up cigarrettes. Certainly if you heard the amount that's been said of the other crew over the past few days you would realise this. I have put up a sign to remind me (Oh God he's done it again......not funny) about this. Pray for us. We are the master bitchers and need all the help we can get.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Welcome back Mike! Back on board again and boy was it a short break.
We eventually got off after the whole crew change debacle last time on the Wednesday, not the planned Saturday. I still managed to get my guitars though. Oh boy were they lovely. Jaime was well pleased with his. Home then to Spain for just under 5 weeks. And that was supposed to be our long 6 weeker! And now here for Christmas!! Lets not go there. I feel a rant coming on and I have work to do.
So I did some painting at home, got the van fixed, drank some fine wine, got the usual case of gippy-tummy before coming back and came back on a shite Northwest Airlines. Boy are American carriers the worst airlines in the world. They are. They have no class. They must never have flown Air France or KLM.
Then we get back and I find that we are a day early for a startup. SURPRISE!! But at least we had a talk and an exam and I won an iPod Shuffle for my efforts. Hooray! 90 bucks worth. I think the company has gone mad. A year ago they would have said you have to do the exam and thats that. This was optional and with a prize for passing. Are they on drugs? Speaking of, there was word of a D&A test bandied about by the onshore guy that seniors would be doing one as soon as we got on. Haven't heard anything since and I haven't had a drink in days I swear.
So here we are now and we're finding all sorts of problems with the flows and the other crews "good to go" stuff. Good to go to the crapper.....
I have a cold which I got as soon as I got on and am having shivers and chills and savage sweats at night. Much more of that and I'll have to hang out my mattress to dry I tell you. Now it's turning to a nasty cough and sweats. I hate being sick onboard and the medic is going as sparingly on the Ibuprofen as though it were morphine!
So there now. Oh and we're back in the Gulf. Tomorrow I'll write a bit about New Orleans and how it was.
We eventually got off after the whole crew change debacle last time on the Wednesday, not the planned Saturday. I still managed to get my guitars though. Oh boy were they lovely. Jaime was well pleased with his. Home then to Spain for just under 5 weeks. And that was supposed to be our long 6 weeker! And now here for Christmas!! Lets not go there. I feel a rant coming on and I have work to do.
So I did some painting at home, got the van fixed, drank some fine wine, got the usual case of gippy-tummy before coming back and came back on a shite Northwest Airlines. Boy are American carriers the worst airlines in the world. They are. They have no class. They must never have flown Air France or KLM.
Then we get back and I find that we are a day early for a startup. SURPRISE!! But at least we had a talk and an exam and I won an iPod Shuffle for my efforts. Hooray! 90 bucks worth. I think the company has gone mad. A year ago they would have said you have to do the exam and thats that. This was optional and with a prize for passing. Are they on drugs? Speaking of, there was word of a D&A test bandied about by the onshore guy that seniors would be doing one as soon as we got on. Haven't heard anything since and I haven't had a drink in days I swear.
So here we are now and we're finding all sorts of problems with the flows and the other crews "good to go" stuff. Good to go to the crapper.....
I have a cold which I got as soon as I got on and am having shivers and chills and savage sweats at night. Much more of that and I'll have to hang out my mattress to dry I tell you. Now it's turning to a nasty cough and sweats. I hate being sick onboard and the medic is going as sparingly on the Ibuprofen as though it were morphine!
So there now. Oh and we're back in the Gulf. Tomorrow I'll write a bit about New Orleans and how it was.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Well there's a welcome back to seismic......delayed crew change. After management said that going alongside in the case of bad weather was an option, this was an off the cuff statement. It is not an option. We wait for good weather to allow choppers out. Tomorrow we try again and have 4 choppers planned. Whether thats four physical, air beating birds or 4 runs by the same we don't know. If this doesn't happen, we can have one on Monday, none on Tuesday, mutiny on Wednesday.....
Apart from that, we are deploying streamer, it's cold, windy, there's a big ass swell coming from the North and to cap it all off it's snowing!! The mood is as jolly on board as a cable tangle on Christmas day. Seemingly this crew always gets stiffed onboard by weather.
And as for my plans to buy 2 guitars, well they'll hold them till Monday and then we'll have to see. If this goes on any longer, I'll get one of the boys ashore money for a deposit.
So you can see know why I came back to my job. Arsing around in the cold, management arsing around with crew change, and my boss ordering his bird pictures whilst I freeze outside and he hasn't even looked at my training modules to sign them off! Long live the seismic dream..........
Apart from that, we are deploying streamer, it's cold, windy, there's a big ass swell coming from the North and to cap it all off it's snowing!! The mood is as jolly on board as a cable tangle on Christmas day. Seemingly this crew always gets stiffed onboard by weather.
And as for my plans to buy 2 guitars, well they'll hold them till Monday and then we'll have to see. If this goes on any longer, I'll get one of the boys ashore money for a deposit.
So you can see know why I came back to my job. Arsing around in the cold, management arsing around with crew change, and my boss ordering his bird pictures whilst I freeze outside and he hasn't even looked at my training modules to sign them off! Long live the seismic dream..........
Thursday, November 03, 2005
'Twas like a Siege of Ennis (an Irish dance) at dinner today. First of all I entered the mess and all over people were getting the floor all greased up for the dance with soup, water and dinners. Then as we all seated ourselves, a big roller comes through and all the folks on one side of the table grab their plates and cutlery and.....slide on backwards.....slide on forwards and place your plate on the table whilst your partner on the other side slides backwards carrying what he can grab. This happened a few times. Of course there was music to accompany this bizarre version of the popular ceili dance. As the song goes "All Gods people have a place inthe choir, some sing low, some sing higher, some sing out loud like a telephone wyer, and some just clap there hands, or bang pots and pans, or anything at all......" Okay, so just the pots and pans and anything at all bit was going, and going everywhere too. Such crashing can hardly be called music, and certainly not what the cookies were saying was musical. Needless to say the floor was even more greased up and more dancing went on.
My chili was delicious...........
My chili was delicious...........
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