08-01-2026 // 30’37S 048’46W // COG 205, SOG 7kn
We glided right out of the belt of northerly winds. It was due to happen. The trade winds are no more. This anti-cyclonic area is moving to sea, leaving a vacuum for some time before a new one can make its presence clear. This afternoon looks about right. The winds are forecasted to come back from the SSE, backing east and later even NE.
When my watch started at midnight, the sky was looking dark, ready to unleash its fury at any time. We quickly handed the mainsail and stowed it away. Torrential rain drove down on us and the winds kept shifting. It was time to take down the jib. Hard to say if these squalls were out to get us, so no time for heroes. Winds didn’t exceed 30 kn, so we made it through without an awful lot of trouble. Not long after this, we turned on the engine.
The previous day we had the pleasure of sharing our space with some White-chinned Petrels. Beautiful dark pelagic birds. White-chinned Petrels are large, sooty-black seabirds of the Southern Ocean, known for their distinctive white chins (more prominent in Indian Ocean birds) and pale bills, feeding on squid and fish by surface-seizing or shallow dives, often following fishing boats. They are colonial burrow-nesters, arriving at colonies at dusk and leaving before dawn, and are mostly silent at sea but make loud calls during courtship. These birds migrate north after breeding and are vulnerable due to fisheries bycatch, with different subspecies in the Atlantic/Indian and New Zealand regions.
Physical Characteristics
• Size: Large petrel, 51–58 cm long, with a wingspan up to 147 cm.
• Color: Mostly dark (sooty black) with white on the throat/chin and silvery undersides to their wings.
• Bill: Horn or yellow with a black tip, black between nostrils.
Behavior & Diet
• Feeding: Surface-seizes or dives shallowly for squid, fish, and crustaceans; follows fishing vessels for discards.
• Flight: Powerful, mixing slow wing beats with long glides.
• Vocalization: Usually silent at sea but noisy (rattling/groaning) at colonies.
• Social: Solitary at sea but form flocks near ships; monogamous.
Breeding & Migration
• Nesting: Colonial nesters, excavating burrows on vegetated islands.
• Colony Activity: Arrive late afternoon/night, leave before dawn, often circling before landing.
• Migration: Migrate northwards after breeding to subtropical waters.
Conservation
• Status: Listed as Vulnerable globally due to high mortality from longline fisheries.
• Management: Efforts focus on bycatch mitigation and monitoring.
All is well
Gijs
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