Wind Surf Day 12 – Gran Canaria, the Wonders of Nature, Deck BBQ

 “...a quiet life can still be an epic tale – just told in softer tones”

Wind Surf Transatlantic Sailing Day 12

It is easy to see a transatlantic crossing, whether on a magnificent sailing ship or a stately ocean liner as having nothing going on or that there is no nature to be seen, but the reality is we are utterly surrounded by natural wonder all the time on Wind Surf. Today, our approach to, time docked, and departure from Gran Canaria reminded us of the vast diversity of life all around us.

It was 4 AM when Sean got out of bed to watch Wind Surf’s approach to the Canary Islands. An hour later, when I looked out of the porthole in our cabin could see the lights of Santa Cruz de Tenerife slipping past outside in the darkness. The white lights climbed the steep hills of the volcanic island and created a soft glow in the night sky above. It was the closest view of land we'd had in 12 days.

Today would also be one of the best in terms of nature sightings and sheer fun on board a ship that we have ever enjoyed! (Beware, this might be a long entry with lots of videos and pictures!  Enjoy!)

We knew from our visit to the bridge yesterday evening that Wind Surf would be sailing between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where we would dock for a few hours to refuel, so I hurriedly got dressed and went up on deck to watch.

Little did I know at the time how full and amazing today was going to be!

Early Morning on Deck

The sky was partly cloudy, and surprisingly, there was a rather cool wind blowing and a light mist falling. We could see the lights of Gran Canaria on one side of us and Tenerife on the other. In between, the lights of multiple ships shone brightly across the water. There were cargo ships, tankers and small fishing vessels moving in concert through the shipping lane beside us, creating a living path of light. At one point, a red and white Armas passenger ferry sped through the slowly moving stream of other vessels, taking people between the Canary Islands.

It was very quiet on the deck of the ship, with only a handful of passengers out. One lady was walking laps around the ship with great speed and determination. Another man was sitting quietly in the smoking area, scrolling through his phone, listening to music, and looking out into the darkness. Jenny was standing like a shadow at the rails outside the bridge, having a quiet word with the crew. 

We walked the upper deck, stopping in the darker areas to look up at the sky. Above us, we could see Orion, as well as Scorpio and Sagittarius, in clear patches of sky. The moon, which had been only a tiny sliver when we left St. Maarten, was now more than half full.

As we approached Gran Canaria, we could see a lighthouse flashing at the tip of the island. As the first light of dawn began to brighten the sky, the sheer walls of rocky cliffs rising up where the island met the sea became visible. 

Waves were exploding in huge plumes of white spray against the cliffs, making us wonder how we were sailing so calmly along. Behind the cliffs, the dark shapes of the volcanic hills rose up in a solid, unmoving mass.

Birding the Atlantic 

As the light strengthened, we began to see flocks of birds crossing ahead of the ship. They appeared first as dim outlines, then as dark silhouettes, seemingly escorting the ship towards the harbour.

 Over the next two hours, as we watched them skim the surface of the waves, dipping the tips of their long, thin wings to within centimetres of the water, and skimming the waves with their bellies, Sean took hundreds of photos in the hopes of getting clear images amid the sea spray and movement of these new species! Ultimately, we discovered that we were being escorted by large numbers of Cory’s Shearwater and Northern Gannet.

As the ship approached the harbour, the anticipation built as the ship was made ready to make landfall. The Windstar Cruises flag was hoisted up the main mast, as well as a solid yellow flag and a small Spanish flag. A large Bahamas flag was raised on the back of the ship to indicate our home port. As we stood on the top deck at the front of the ship, watching the crew get the ropes ready to tie up to the dock, the ship blew her whistle, startling everyone.

 

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

As we sailed in, we enjoyed spectacular views of the volcanic island. Some of the slopes looked barren and reddish brown. Higher up, the hills were covered in green, with surprisingly tall-looking conifers and palm trees lending a lush green look to the island.

Dark storm clouds moved across the island, and as we sailed around it, a rainbow appeared above the mountains, sometimes looking short and stubby, then extending to a long, thin arc, and in between taking the form of a double rainbow.

As the sun continued to rise, it painted the ocean with a fluid blanket of soft pinks and yellows, and the decks began to fill with other passengers. The green and brown slopes of the island disappeared into a low-hanging bank of dark clouds, creating a very dramatic-looking scene.

Higher up on the hillsides, just below the clouds, the red-roofed white buildings of small isolated villages perched on the slopes like snow caps. Lower down, the colourful buildings of Las Palmas climbed the slopes like a solid wall. I hadn't realized how large and densely packed the city was. Row after row of homes, condos, apartment buildings, and hotels greeted us.

There were too many high-rises to count! From a distance, the face of the city appeared white in the rising sun, but a closer look revealed red, blue, green, and yellow buildings mixed in.

Harbour Approach and Docking

As we approached the mouth of the harbour, a local pilot came out to meet us and boarded the ship from the back. We were also escorted by two tug boats. The harbour we entered was huge and very busy.

Along the outer edge, there were multiple oil derricks docked, sitting on the decks of large barges. There were also many tankers and cargo ships in the working harbour, and over a dozen more anchored outside the port, waiting to be loaded or unloaded.

As we pulled into the harbour, we watched pairs of Yellow-Legged Gulls and Common Terns fishing in the protected waters behind the sea wall. There were flocks of Rock Doves, also rather negatively known as Feral Pigeons, sitting on top of the silos at the edge of the port, and a group of swallows was performing an aerial ballet behind their roofs. We also spotted some kind of raptor soaring above the barren volcanic hills, but it was too far away to pick out any distinguishing features.

Resupplying Wind Surf

We docked on the cargo side of the harbour rather than at the cruise terminal, since most of us weren't going ashore. Six passengers disembarked, making this their final destination. In addition, one man was taken off in a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.

Most of the passengers gathered on deck to watch the process and to look at the boxes of fresh produce that were being brought on board. Unlike on the Queen Mary 2 or her sister ship Queen Elizabeth, where goods are loaded and unloaded directly to and from the cargo hold on pallets using forklifts, here on Wind Surf the strawberries, blueberries, fresh lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and other produce were carried aboard in boxes and sacs by the crew after first being individually inspected by the chef.

Morning Trivia with Matt O

Now docked, and while the ship was being refuelled, we went inside to the lounge for the daily trivia session at 11:15 AM. Today's topic was Board Game Trivia, and it was surprisingly difficult. I think we only answered 7 out of 20 questions correctly, which is probably our worst score so far. 

To cheer ourselves up, we stayed in the lounge to watch the line dancing class in action. Matt O always brings an incredible amount of energy and humour to his events, and it was very refreshing to see people having so much fun.

 

Lunch at Veranda 

Around noon, we went back upstairs to see what was going on outside and to head to Veranda for a spot of lunch. It was a strange feeling to step out onto the sunny deck and be surrounded by solid, unmoving land. It was also odd to realize that the ship was not itself moving with the waves. After almost two weeks at sea to not being under sail was definitely an odd sensation.

We stopped to watch the marine traffic, which included a Fred Olsen passenger ferry coming into the harbour, turning around, and reversing along the dock and out of sight. We also watched two tug boats guide a cargo ship into the harbour, spin it around, and dock it.

Across the strangely blue-green waters of the harbour, we could see the white roofs of the cruise ship terminal, a large glass mall, and a long golden-brown sandy beach that had around half a dozen people on it. Behind it, a busy road skirted the shoreline, lined with a row of tall palm trees.

Looking around the harbour, we spotted quite a diversity of different kinds of palm trees. Above us, reddish brown hills rose up, their barren sides covered in scrubby light green shrubs, and topped by the ruins of what looked like an old Spanish fort, as well as a few more modern buildings that also looked like they were still being used for defence.

I can definitely see coming back here to hike GR 131 across the Canaries from island to island and trek the Camino de Gran Canaria.

 

Afternoon Enrichment Talk 

We sat in the Veranda and enjoyed a quick lunch, and while we were there, we were informed that the bunkering operations were complete and we would soon be on our way. We headed inside at 2:00 PM to listen to Pat and Rosemarie Keogh's talk on the Northwest Passage, but they were only about 5 minutes in when the Captain announced we were ready to cast off, just as soon as the harbour Captain came aboard. 

We felt the engines turn on, and despite feeling guilty for missing the talk, we couldn't resist going back out on deck to watch the sail away. (We apologized to both Pat and Rosemarie later for walking out and wanting to watch the cast away.)

Departure from Gran Canaria

Two tug boats assisted us in moving away from the dock, but they didn't seem to actually tug - the Captain was able to navigate manually from a temporary bridge on the deck. The tug boats did help us turn around in the very narrow harbour, and then they escorted us out, past a trio of kayakers and a cargo ship coming in.

As we cleared the harbour and joined the busy shipping lane, the Captain hoisted the sails into the clear blue skies and played the powerful sail away music. It was quite a spectacle – one I doubt either of us will ever forget. 

Birding the Canary Islands

We stood on the deck again, watching the groups of Cory’s Shearwater, White-faced Storm Petrels, and Bulwer’s Petrel play in the wind and the waves around the ship. At the back of the ship, Gran Canaria slowly receded into the hazy distance.

At the far end, a large expanse of white reflected the sunlight, looking for all the world like a glacier retreating down into the sea. We couldn't figure out what it was until Rosemarie suggested it might be the plastic used to protect agricultural crops. Apparently, the Canary Islands are known for their crops, and in the springtime, they export a lot of early spring potatoes to Europe. Fascinating! I have always enjoyed learning these types of details.

 

Whales and Dolphins 

As we pulled away from the land, the ship was surrounded by seabirds.  Sean noticed that they were forming rafts, and in other areas, they were feeding in very busy and highly concentrated groups.

Suddenly, we spotted the unmistakable spout of a whale and realized the birds were following a pod of whales! Several more spouts followed the first, and we caught glimpses of a few grey backs, but the pod was soon gone.

 We stood at the rail in the bright, hot sun watching until they were out of sight, and then moved in the shade of Compass Rose. Rosemarie again joined us, and we had a very honest and insightful conversation about what Sean and I would like to do with our photos and our writing, how we might begin to develop our travel photography, and some of the challenges we face. 

We were very grateful for the sound and practical career advice from someone who has made a living travelling and publishing their stunning photography.

As we sat there, engaged in conversation, a pod of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins swam through!

Everyone on the back deck flocked to the side of the ship to watch as a huge group of dolphins came leaping and chasing each other through the deep blue water. They were playing and came racing towards the ship before diving beneath it.

Looking down over the rails, we could see their lithe, muscular, grey bodies shooting through the clear, bright blue water. More and more dolphins appeared in a seemingly endless stream that felt so lively, joyous, and exuberant.

Seeing these magnificent creatures dance in the ocean felt as though my soul was leaping with them as they played from wave to wave!

Wind Surf BBQ on Board

The dolphins were a huge highlight in a day already packed with excitement. We sat in the shade in Compass Rose, reading about the Camino and writing our travel journals until around 6:00 PM, when we went downstairs to freshen up and change in preparation for the on-deck BBQ. Apparently, this is a signature event on Windstar Cruises, and they certainly pull out all the stops.

Tables of food had been set up on deck 5 outside Veranda, with cheeses and meats, salads, desserts, breads, wines, and more. Of course, the centrepiece was the grill, where a large selection of meats was creating a wonderful smell.

There was also a truly huge pan with seafood sizzling away, and on the dessert table was another truly gigantic apple pie. What a feast!

We shared a table with a photographer from Arizona and his wife, which made for interesting conversation to go with the delicious food. I particularly enjoyed the veggie and tofu skewers and the warm apple pie and ice cream.

When the meal was finished, our dinner companions left to put on some warmer clothes, and we were joined by Deborah, who was enjoying the evening. We talked and enjoyed sangria for a little while as the crew cleared away the BBQ at the center of the deck for the next event.

Crew Line Dance with Matt O

The highlight of the BBQ was the crew line dance, led by Matt O. The music was lively and fun, and it was wonderful to see the crew and staff having fun together. We understand this event is usually done either while the ship is docked or on dry land, but they did very well, despite the waves rocking the ship.

Some of the crew, who are usually so reserved, really got into it and showed great talent, making it all the more fun.

Standing under the sails, listening to the music and the laughter around us as the sun set behind us in the middle of the ocean was a surreal experience, and one that made us feel so very lucky to be there. It was a memory that will last.

Evening at Compass Rose

When the final cheers had died away, we headed back to Compass Rose along with many other passengers. As the light faded to darkness and the evening wore several passengers shared personal stories and tales of life, accomplishments and challenges they had experienced.

The atmosphere here on board, among this small group of strangers who have spent two weeks together, reminds us of the Camino. The transatlantic crossing on Wind Surf seems very much to be less of a voyage among passengers and more of an adventure with new friends.

Both staff and passengers talk openly about things that you likely wouldn't share in more ordinary circumstances. Once again, shared experience has brought us together, and it is a wonderful feeling.

 

Reflections in the Evening’s Quiet

One of the greatest gifts of slow travel is the time it gives you to reflect. As we passed the Canary Islands on the edge of the Atlantic and Africa, I found myself sinking deeper into the quiet space that the ocean provided. There were no ringing phones, no social media notifications, just the gentle sound of the sails of the boat, the occasional bird call, and the rolling sea. In that solitude, I found the mental clarity I hadn’t even realized I was missing.

The quiet of the boat offers something profound: the ability to hear your own thoughts. To be alone, with your thoughts, and nature’s sounds as your backdrop, is to experience life at a pace that allows for mindfulness. You begin to notice the subtle details: the light shifting on the waves, the changing colours of the water, the taste of salt on your lips, the flicker of stars as night falls on the back deck of the ship.

Being out here, taking a moment to just breathe in the salty air and watch as the sea unfolded around me. There was no need to rush. It was a dance with nature, and here we had the opportunity to truly embrace each moment.

What an incredible day!

Read about Day 13 of our Transatlantic Crossing on Wind Surf →