"What's
that noise?" I am in the galley, performing the most important
duty on a sailboat, making food.
"What noise?"
"A clicking sound," I reply, "and a high-pitched whistle,
and now that deep base sound, like a foghorn!"
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Feeding
frenzy in the deep Atlantic. |
Chris scans
the ocean, "No traffic around. Just birds--lots of birds."
We are in deep waters, 4000 ft. Suddenly he yells, "Incoming--port
side--bait fish!"
The water is alive, churning on the surface, as a solid wall of baitfish
approaches.
We usually see sardines or pilchards, but this school is different,
they are larger...King Mackerel, 1ft plus. They engulf our boat, 200-300m
in all directions. They must have seen our shadow, the only one for
thousands of miles, and hoped that we could provide protection from
their pursuers. The dolphins.
Nature's perfectly streamlined hunters, who also knew we were there,
except they were going to use us as a decoy! They herded the mackerel
toward us, fanning out to encircle the school around MALAIKA.
Thousands of birds descend upon us, falling out of the sky, one after
the other in perfect harmony.
The air was electrically charged, and the tension grew. The water changed
colour as the mackerel dropped their scales, mother of pearl reflecting
from the deep.
The fishing line goes tight! Chris yanks it in and throws it out immediately...another
one and another one...The frenzy has begun!
The deck is covered in blood as the mackerel thump around topside in
unison with those torpedoing themselves against our steel hull, trying
to get in!
The noise is deafening and we have to shout to be heard.
The male hunters maintain their outer circle and the rest of the pod
take turns to feed in the centre. The females bring their calves right
next to us for a look.
Who is watching whom???
Bubbles--huge exploding balls of air--surround us as the base sound
surfaces. Six whales effortlessly glide with mouths wide-open, swallowing
hundreds of disoriented mackerel. Their spray fills the air like rain.
There are even some leftovers for the sharks, who come slinking in.
A shark goes for a seagull sitting on the water, and duly gets pecked
on the head, and told off.
In ten minutes it is all over, and they leave, just like they came...
Suddenly.
We are charged, elated to be witnesses from our safe platform, and thankful
for the dinner.
