The tales of Short Tail Shearwater

The green cliffs of the archipelago of the Azores Islands, reminiscent of what I have imagined Ireland to resemble, welcome us in Mid-March, after spending the first half of this month at sea. I, admittedly, do not have Geography as a strong suit. I first learned of where the Azores where located last year, while looking on a giant world map on the wall of CFIS’ cafeteria with one of my students. We were pointing to various islands and countries, expressing our enthusiasm of perhaps one day being lucky enough to see them through a traveler’s eyes. Amidst our wandering and deciphering of the gigantic mural, the Azores were pointed out. I had remembered seeing this location mentioned on the Class Afloat itinerary for the upcoming school year.

“Hey - I’ll be on that island next year. Awesome.”

We find Horta, on the island of Faial near the end of winter; a season which is mostly marked by rain, and wind. This changes the planned program of a day-long volcano hike, as visibility is near zero. In lieu, we visit a geological museum – then, part of the group hikes up a smaller volcano, while the other gets a bus tour of the surroundings, with a few stops at local parks. Our time in the Azores is cut short by our late arrival; we spend the remainder of our time here visiting a whaling museum, wandering the cobblestone streets, and warming up in local cafés. Peter’s Sport Café, made famous by the large sailing and yachting community that stops by Horta to fill up on fuel and provisions mid-way through Atlantic crossings, is a popular spot. The chocolate cake here is delectable, and very enjoyable – much more so than the story I am about to tell you.

Whaling was an important part of the Azores’ economy until the practice was stopped in the mid-70s. Luigi, a local of the island, tells me that nowadays, locals scour the beaches after a storm for whale bones, and teeth – made of ivory. A large bone, or tooth-filled jaw can fetch hundreds –sometimes thousands- of Euros. Jewelry, carvings, and sometimes furniture is made by what washes up on shore. Despite the fact that the whale is no longer hunted, its economic viability is still important to the island. Whale watching tours for tourists make up a significant part of this contribution.. as does whale poo.

Yup. Whale excrement is another notable source of income for some Azorians. Many high-end perfume makers, such as Jean-Paul Gauthier, apparently use Azorian whale poo in their perfumes. Some locals hang around on boats waiting around for whales to drop a #2, collect it, and then cash in. Just a fun fact for you to share next time there’s an awkward silence at the dinner table.

Just before casting off, and setting sail for Spain, we finish up a mural – a tradition while docked in Horta. Seamen and women must leave their mark by painting a representation of their vessel and crew. Ours, albeit from a biased opinion, is beautiful– an image of the Sorlandet is painted on a globe, and bordered by the flags of the multiple nationalities found on board.

We set sail for Espana with high hopes of kinder seas then we’ve been accustomed to over the past few voyages. Though we don’t have many sailing days, we do coast at a speed that nears 10 knots for the greater part of one of our 8 days at sea- this allows us to arrive on time in beautiful La Coruna…. but not before getting a visit from Neptune.

It is tradition, while crossing the Equator for the first time on a vessel, to be initiated by veterans of the sea. While this year’s itinerary did not include an Equator Crossing, many who had lived it in previous years with Class Afloat deemed it important to experience for this crew of mostly sea newbies. It was decided that crossing the Atlantic twice was worthy of initiation. Though I cannot divulge exactly what happens during an induction by Neptune, the God of the Sea…. I WILL say this…

It included expired mustard, deli meats, sea water, a pig’s head collected by students at a butcher’s slaughter house in the Azores, a dead octopus, fish guts, obstacle courses, food slops, raw eggs…and a graduation to “bird” status, which I am proud to say I have justly earned. You can now refer to me as Short Tailed Shearwater.

“Ms. Bourque – you were tough today. You were really brave.” says one of my students, who watched me readily jump through the hoops set by our sea masters.

Yes, maybe it was being tough or bravery that got me my sea name– but mostly, it was fun. The crew was buzzing following this team-bonding event. They were pumped, and really, that’s what this was for. Though temporarily traumatic for some, all will remember Neptune’s visit long after we return to our land lives. We spent the rest of the day reliving specific moments, facial expressions, and memorable reactions. Still now, I am laughing to myself while replaying some of this day’s moments in my head.

While retelling the story to some friends, some had the reaction of thinking I have been at sea for too long to think that such an experience was ‘fun’. That may be so… but that’s also part of what all of this is about.

I recently re-watched a DVD video made by my dear, lovely friends Rima and Nathaelle which included well-wishes from friends and family as I prepared to go on this journey. It warmed my heart (again), and made me tear up (again)… it, just as my memory of admiring the giant world map, made me think of all the build up, and anticipation of what this would be, and what it would become. As I reflect on the past 8 months, I can say at this point that for one, it has gone by faster than I ever could have imagined – but that seems to always be the way. I could also say that though this experience has brought about many surprises – the majority pleasant, with less than a handful not-so-pleasant – I feel as though the adjourning phase of it has brought me to a place that I hoped, and imagined it would bring me to. I feel more than content, and satisfied with the story as it’s been written thus far. And maybe that means thinking tales of whale poo are fascinating, and having ‘fun’ and ‘fish guts’ in the same sentence… so be it. These past few months – its adventures, its people, and its lessons – have been awe-inspiring… and have helped me make a better version of myself, I hope. A ‘me’ that has a bird name. How cool is that?