I no longer worry about getting seasick, as I never once felt unwell crossing the Drake Passage either way. Granted, on the way there we had very light swells. Unfortunately the wonderful weather made it bad weather for seabirds, who prefer stronger winds.

Between lectures, we spent most of the day on deck with cameras at the ready, waiting for the birds. Occasionally one would shoot past in the opposite direction, or zig zag behind us just out of reach of our lenses. For a while a fluttering flock of Cape Petrels (also known as Pintado Petrels) would follow us, settling on the water and then pattering up again. We didn’t see any of the great albatross – Wanderers or Royals (though we did on the way back). Our most common sightings were Giant Petrels, Black-browed Albatross and Cape Petrels.

I was initially quite off balance trying to shoot from a moving ship – mainly due to the sea-sickness medication! I was glad to trade off the 200-400mm for the much lighter 80-400mm. Getting used the movement only took a little while, and navigating around the deck using the handrails soon became easy. We were so lucky with the weather, and that theme continued for the rest of the trip.

 I’ve expressed my fondness for birds many times, but if there’s one kind I have the greatest fascination with, it’s seabirds. From giant Wanderers with 3 meter wingspans, to tiny Storm-Petrels at 30-40cm, these birds live most of their lives between the sea and the sky, only returning to land to breed. They are beautifully adapted to their lifestyles, and navigate the roughest sea-winds with grace and ease. Seeing even the largest ones against such vast expanses of water makes you realise just how small we are.