Portuguese Man-O-War

These "jelly fish" are both beautiful and terrifying.  Siphonophores Colonial Organism or Complex Organism

While they were thought of as jelly fish for some time, their exact classification has been under serious scrutiny lately. Due to their deep ocean living situation, studying their lifecycle has proven difficult, making it really hard to asses exactly what they are.  

Portuguese Man-O-War are named so not because they come from Portugal, but rather because they look like the Man-O-War tall ship that the Portuguese used back in the age of sail. The creature has tentacles like a jellyfish, but instead of a bell filled with fluids it has a balloon. Instead of undulating the bell for locomotion, it raises a sail to the wind. 

As if these creatures weren't interesting enough, their very classification as an organism has come into question. Portuguese Man-O-War are Siphonophores, but that is kind of the best we can do when it comes to classifying them. It turns out that the creature is more akin to a colony than a single organism. Each major part of the Man-O-War seems to be its own creature, capable of living on their own without the direct need of the other organisms. At the same time, each organism that makes up the "colony" is so highly specialized that it resembles tissues in different organs, making this a complex organism instead of a colony.   

Sadly, this creature is so confusing and interesting that scientists still don't fully know how to classify it. Should it be a colony made up of obligate mutualistic organisms or is it actually a complex organism made up of various organs, and not various organisms? It seems like a simple question to ask and answer, but the various parts of the Man-O-War exhibit both traits and therefore it continues to perplex scientists.

Micro plastic

Maddie took this photo of a Portuguese Man-O-War while we were crossing the Atlantic Ocean. This photo was taken at approximately 35 degrees North and 35 degrees West, so pretty much in the middle of the ocean!

We were having a series of becalmed days and the surface of the ocean became smooth as glass. On the surface of the water, we noticed this fine dusting that extended all the way out to the horizon. While this photo is of the Man-O-War, the dusting surrounding it is very evident. 

Sadly, this dusting is not volcanic ash, pollen, or Saharan desert dust, instead it is tiny pieces of plastic that have been broken down into microscopic pieces. Large pieces of plastic that wash out to sea will break down into tiny pieces as the sun beats down on them. A small water bottle can pulverize into enough micro plastic components to cover miles of ocean surface. 

When I lived aboard in Baltimore, Maryland i the Inner Harbor, it would pain me to see plastic trash that was flushed into the harbor from the city. I used to collect the pieces of plastic that were in reach from the pier, but for every piece of plastic I would collect, more than a dozen would wash out into the Chesapeake Bay. 

The bay then drains out into the Atlantic Ocean where the plastic trash gets picked up the ocean currents and swept way out into the ocean. Over the years, the plastic trash will brake down and eventually turn into this micro plastic dust that covers the ocean.  

Sadly, as of yet, there is no clear way to remove all the plastic debris that is floating in the worlds oceans, but hopefully someone far more intelligent than I can become inspired to inventing a solution that will help reverse the terrible things humanity has done to the worlds oceans. 

In the meantime, we can all help to reduce how much plastic makes it out into the ocean. Something as small as not using a plastic bag from the grocery store or drinking out of the cup instead of using a plastic straw. It may seem like a small contribution, but that tiny plastic device that you were about to use once and for a few minutes is the equivalent of miles of ocean surface that is covered with plastic. 

Atlantic Crossing Part 8

Herby gives you a crash course on how to read the clouds and use old school weather techniques to get you across an ocean safely and without relying on electronics.

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Bermuda Beaches

In case you weren't fully in awe by the beauty of the land on Bermuda, the island chain has one more talent to take your breath away; the beaches.

The beaches in Bermuda are amazing, gorgeous, and wonderful. Brightly colored fish are right at the waters edge as the entire island is surrounded by a barrier reef. All the fish at the beach are actually deep inside the protection of the reef, they are merely in shallower waters at the moment when you get to enjoy them.

The really mind boggling part of the beaches is that just past the colorful fish and beautiful coral is nothing. The closest point of land is around 700 nautical miles away, and that is only if you are looking to the West. If you are looking East, the next point of land is 1800 nautical miles away in the form of the Azores. To the South is the Caribbean, and to the South East is Africa. You are standing at the edge of the land gazing out onto a view normally only seen by blue water sailors. When you gaze off into the distance, there is nothing obscuring your view of the horizon and it is a sight that should be appreciated and respected. 

The beaches at Bermuda are amazing, as well as humbling as you know you will soon be out there for some beach goer to gaze out upon you on the horizon! 

Bermuda

After spending a month in the Bahamas, I kind of formulated what Bermuda would look like before we got there. Boy, was I wrong!

Bermuda is not in the tropics, it is actually located quite north and this is evidenced by the lack of palm trees lining the shores. The bays between the Bermuda Islands are lined with coniferous trees, the kinds you would find in the mountains of New England! 

Our stopover in Bermuda was short but impacting. The sights, sounds, and smells of land are humbling after being at sea for almost a month. You forget what insects sound like, or what dirt smells like! On the ocean, everything looks like a wave, but when you are in Bermuda, everything looks beautiful and unique. 

If you are sailing by Bermuda, it would certainly be worth a few days stopover. Checking in only costs $35 per person on the boat, and it is free to anchor in St. George's Harbor where the holding is more than adequate.