Reader Phil informs me that our ship, the Roald Amundsen, has a 360° panoramic camera, located on the forward antenna tower, that broadcasts continuously, even showing (sometimes) passengers on the stern. It apparently takes about 3½ minutes to make a full rotation, with the image updated every ten minutes.
As I write this it’s about sunrise, , so I’ll put an image below. Right now we’re approaching the Chilean fjords. You can see the broadcast by clicking on the link above or on the photo below.
The same page also has a topographical ‘Overview Map’ (click on bottom left) that shows our current position, which gave this image at 7 am local time. The green triangle shows which way the camera’s currently pointed.
There’s another real-time topographical map here. As of 7 am, when I’m writing this, we’re in an inland channel:
And that map, zoomed out, shows this. We’re nearing the tip of South America and about to approach the complicated coast of Patagonia.
Really good views. Almost like being on the ship only no food or people to wait on me.
fascinating – this is going to be a great story!
… so I guess the ship has to take this route to avoid the rough ocean? All the way though seems like it’d take forever….
I’m guessing the route is planned this way because there are cool things to see.
Yes, the route is as per design – to show off the “Patagonic Fjords”
Great post 😊
Very nice, but not perfect: the camera is fixed to the ship, and when there is some swell, it moves with the ship, but not with the sea… the result can be quite nauseating: look for example at the panorama from 2019.10.29, 04:10. I suppose some engine speeds also induce vibrations of the mast holding the camera(e.g. 2019.10.29, 16:40). And sometime the transmission doesn’t work. It should be an image every ten minutes (every hour during the night), but just now it’s “03:50” for a very long time…
So maybe you are getting a little sea sick from watching the video. Better not go for a plane ride.
Local Chile time as I click “Post Comment” is 1329 hrs. According to CRUISEMAPPER MS Roald Amundsen has long left the network of fjords, whereas in the feed it’s still deep in the fjords. It’s currently in open Pacific waters heading south-west on a course 215 degrees.
Position & Conditions at 1313 hrs – see this image:
https://flic.kr/p/2hCHjzD
13 knots/ 15 mph
51°F/10.4°C
Wind: 17.2 m/s [40 mph] which is gale force 8
Wave height: 4 m, Rough
Looking at panoramic camera updates from previous days it updates every 10 minutes for around 14 hours of the day which are very approx the daylight hours [between 0250 hrs & 1630hrs – the times indicated in the feed, which are NOT real local time!] & every say 70 mins otherwise.
I suppose the panoramas will back-update when there’s suitable conditions for transmission
Almost like communicating with a Mars Rover.
Good comparison 🙂
I never knew Chile had an archipelago like that. It must be a really fun place for sailors and boat owners to explore all those tiny islands.
Provided the channels are well-marked. Doesn’t seem like a place you’d want to run up on a rocky shoal.
It is a bit like the coastal area going up to Alaska with all the waterways there. They always run barges from the west coast to Alaska through these areas. When I was still working we would utilize a system out of Seatle called Cool Barge to move supplies north.
I always thought that the trip would just go into the open ocean – why I don’t know, given it is a touristy thing, not a pure scientific expidition.
And yes – not that I’ve been to either – it does remind me of what I know of Alaska – or BC.
I am beyond envious of you Jerry!
Just in case you wanted the latest news affecting Chile, They just announced Chile will not hold the APEC summit scheduled three weeks from now. Due to the difficulties down there.
https://www.apecchile2019.cl/
Hm, good to know for a dear friend of mine – she’s scheduled to go in January as part of a bit of education she’s doing.
Cool views. I’ll be looking out for sunny warm weather, white sand beaches, bathing beauties, seals and sea lions, penguins, hotdog stands, and songs accompanied by a ukulele. Just kidding.
I assume you’re kidding about the ukulele part!
It’s OK in the right place. Maybe you have to be wearing a flowered shirt and a lei.
The rotating camera is very cool. The scenery looks just like home—the Salish Sea on a November day.
Anyone know (before I google it) what the biome is on those islands? Temperate marine adapted forest?
Anyway, best of luck on your journey, Dr PCC(e). Looks to be wonderful.
Stay in those lees, Commodore Ceiling Cat, the Teeth of the Horn await. Make sure your helmsman never looks at that camera or over his shoulder, the mountains of land can be terrifying, but the Everests of the Pacific can induce insanity!
Thank you for the great post. I’ve only flown from Santiago to Punta Arenas en route to the Falklands, and even from the air the views of the Andes were magnificent. I hope you get to go to Torres del Paine National Park from Punta Arenas — most spectacular mountains I’ve ever seen.
marinetraffic.com is a great resource for tracking vessels.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5842449/mmsi:257425000/vessel:ROALD%20AMUNDSEN
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:5842449/zoom:10