Somewhere around 43 degrees south, things changed. It felt as if a door had been opened for us and we were being led into a new and better world. It was roughly on the latitude of the Valdez Peninsula, Argentina's famous whale breeding ground. The cold and harsh winds of the previous week have left us and the sun shines on a blue sea. Layers of thermal clothing have been shed. It's moulting time for us. As I write, a gentle warm wind from the south east pushes us across a flat blue sea over which we have seen the most spectacular of sunsets. The twilight watch has been much improved by Mike's lectures on the stars off the southern hemisphere, and he seems quite expert. I am now as familiar with the Southern Cross as I am with the Plough and Polaris back home. Malcolme has entered into his Darwinian phase, energised by the sight of rich plankton making the water almost soupy. No wonder the whales love it here. Anyway, he's trying to collect some in a bucket and if he gets enough says he may serve it to us for breakfast.