Aladdin's adventure onboard M/T Maersk Cancun

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

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คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Maersk Group's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”

Aladdin's adventure on board m/t Maersk Cancun

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Tuesday 1 ^st of July 2025 and we are steaming south and it is gloom and grey for long as I can see when the daylight is breaking. The weather does not allow for any painting at 8 o'clock so the crew will get started with the razor wire.

I am just turning around to leave the bridge at 8 and I spot a bird in front of the bridge. Looked like a Tropicbird, the bird was gone before I could get a picture.

Coming on the bridge in the afternoon and there was a little bit of sunshine. After 2 months of nothing on the sea, a few singles, and I suspected that the birds were busy having babies ashore.

But WOW! Now they are back! I spotted one Cory’s Shearwater at 16 thirty, about 119km NW of Cap Blanc and I did not think about it anymore. One bird was normal to see, at least for the last two months

Cap Blanc

Ras Nouadhibou (Arabic: رأس نواذيبو) is a 60-kilometre peninsula or headland divided by the border between Mauritania and Western Sahara on the African coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Since colonial times, it has internationally been known as Cabo Blanco in Spanish or Cap Blanc in French (both meaning "White Headland").

There was another Cory’s Shearwater 25 minutes later and I got out on the bridge wing, but the bird was gone. One more came flying after the first bird and now I got a picture, good enough for ID.

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s/Scopoli’s Shearwaters

These 2 very similar species have a mainly separate distribution: Cory’s breeds on islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, with small numbers in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea; Scopoli’s breeds in the Mediterranean Sea with a small number along the coast of SW France.

Both species occur on migration in the Atlantic Ocean. After the breeding season Cory’s is common as far north as SW Great Britain and Ireland, while Scopoli’s is rare north of W France.

The ID to species level is problematic in moderate viewing conditions and at distance, e.g. for observations from land. ID to ‘Cory’s/Scopoli’s’ level is often still possible in those situations.

I compared with the pictures in my ID HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS book, 1–2 outermost primary- coverts with dark markings and lesser coverts relatively heavily marked and no pale tongues on p7–10

Cory's bill is long and thick, contra Scopoli’s. This is not so helpful if the birds are not side by side. But the birds in my pictures have dark markings on the outermost primary- coverts, so I ID the birds as Cory’s Shearwaters.

The crew finished for the day when I was on the bridge wing taking pictures.

The boys finished with work for the day

Cory’s Shearwater

I spotted five Cory’s Shearwaters between 17:45 and 18:00 and I got one picture that I could use. I did not spot any more birds until after 25 minutes. I spotted 1 Cory’s Shearwater and I spotted 28 of them between 18:25 and 19:25.

There were also one Northern Gannet and I was surprised when the gannet disappeared after a few minutes. Gannets and boobies are usually staying with us looking for fish in our swell.

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet

We are changing course to 180° 20 minutes after 7 o'clock in the evening and we are in the WAF Reporting Area. I send an email that we are entering West African Crime Area.

We had just met northbound m/v Four Rigoletto, other side I had just seen a small, most likely a fishing boat during the afternoon.

I spotted 18 more shearwaters before I left the bridge at 8 o'clock in the evening for a quick video before going to bed.

Four Rigoletto

Cory’s Shearwater

Cory’s Shearwater

My Cory’s Shearwater observations turned in to Rare Bird Alerts in eBird. And it turned out that I was the only one having generated Rare Bird Alerts in Western Sahara for at least the last 7 days. Never mind for me, I was just happy to have seen the birds.

Rare Bird Alert

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Wednesday 2 ^nd of July 2025 and we are passing the border between Mauritania and Senegal during the morning. Gloom and grey for long as I can see so we will not be able to paint, at least during the morning, maybe during the afternoon.

We had started to lift the second section of our hydraulic supply lines when we got news from the operation. Discharge on Freetown, Sierra Leone and Conakry, Guinea

I told the crew to put back the hydraulic pipe as there will not be enough time to complete the job before reaching Freetown, Sierra Leone on Friday night

I had not seen one single bird when I want to bed in the evening, but I hope to see birds tomorrow.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 3 ^rd of July 2025 and we were passing the border between Senegal and Gambia during the morning. I was just about to leave the bridge when I spotted on bird hunting next to the boat. First I thought it was a Northern Gannet.

Then I spotted the red foot and I thought it might be a Cape Gannet. Yellow head so I thought it must be a gannet. I will consult my book when I am back in my room.

No Gannets with red foot according to my book. My book had a Red-footed Booby with yellow head, something I had never seen before and I report the bird as a Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

Rare Bird Alert

So, I was very lucky with the Red-footed Booby, a few minutes later and I would have missed it. And the Red-footed Booby turned out to be a Rare Bird Alert, the only one in Gambia for at least the 7 last days.

Coming down from the bridge and we got right on with the tool box meeting before entry to the fresh water. Risk Assessment and work permit, and of course, testing the gas detectors.

The tank looked very good, the crew just needed to brush the bottom a little to get rid of some dust while pumping out the water on the bottom.

The boys finished with work for the day

The boys finished with work for the day

The boys finished with work for the day

I was full of expectations coming on the bridge in the afternoon after the Red-footed Booby this very morning. But we had nothing but rain, no birds and no painting. The painting will not be ready before arriving to Freetown tomorrow night.

We had a huge group of dolphins jumping and playing in front of us. They seemed to enjoy the rain, and I enjoyed watching them.

Coming to my room at 8 o'clock and there was a video from the Pilot in Map Ta Put, Thailand.

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Friday 4 ^th of July 2025 and we are passing south of Guinea when I came on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. Leaving the bridge and I spent the time until lunch doing the pre-arrival tests and checks.

Approaching Freetown in the evening and I spot one bird at 18:30 and with the help of birdforum I decided to ID the bird as a Mottled Swift, mostly because of the big size.

It was a Pallid or a Mottled Swift, see the thread on birdforum HERE .

Mottled Swift

Mottled Swift

Mottled Swift

We dropped anchor at 22:12 and we expect to come alongside tomorrow, but we will see how it turns out. I was in my room at 11 o'clock in the evening.

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Saturday 5 ^th of July 2025 and the outer anchorage was full of bulk carries discharging to barges when I came on the bridge at 7 thirty in the morning. Gloom and grey for long as I could see. Rain and fog patches so the visibility was everything from poor to OK.

I was in the CCR completing the cargo plan when they gave 1 hour notice and we had our anchor aweight at 10:36. Approaching the entrance and we turned around, zero visibility so we decided not to enter.

We were delayed, but we dropped the anchor at the inner anchorage at 13:36, 500 meter from the Petrojetty Terminal in Freetown.

Approaching Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Approaching Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Approaching Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

Passing Freetown on the way to Petrojetty Terminal

AB and 2 Officer coming back after having dropped the anchor

Pied Crow

I was on the bridge watching our 2nd Officer and AB coming back from the fo'c's'le after having dropped the anchor. I was on the bridge wing trying to get a picture of a Pied Crow sitting in our forward mast. Landed on the mast as soon as they had left the fo'c's'le.

Too far away for any good picture, but now I have pictures of two different Sierra Leone birds. Pilot should come onboard at 2 o'clock but it was 5 o'clock before the Pilot boarded us.

I came on the bridge at 16:45 and Captain had just taken a few pictures of a Pied Crow sitting on our bridge wing enjoying the sights.

Pied Crow

Pied Crow

We heaved up the anchor and it took us one and a half hour to get to the jetty 500 meters away. The terminal is very close to one ferry terminal.

We could see the ferries crossing the Sierra Leone River.

The ferries, everything from small wood boats to some car ferries that was looking like scrap. For sure, not a boat I would like to be on.

There were many swifts flying around over the jetty. I tried to make a recording but too much noise from the engine room.

The Sierra Leone River

is a river estuary on the Atlantic Ocean in Western Sierra Leone. It is formed by the Bankasoka River and Rokel River and is between 6-16 km wide and 40 km long. It holds the major ports of Queen Elizabeth II Quay and Pepel.

The estuary is also important for shipping. It is the largest natural harbour in the African continent. Several islands, including Tasso Island (the largest), Tombo Island, and the historically important Bunce Island, are located in the estuary.

Freetown ferry across the Sierra Leone River

Freetown ferry across the Sierra Leone River

I went down to the CCR and we were soon having the Authorities on board and when they were ready the Surveyor and Loading Master came on board. And of course, plenty Agents and other representatives onboard. And everyone wanted to have documents.

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 6 ^th of July 2025 and we start discharging just after 1 o'clock in the morning. A quick stop for line displacement and we resumed discharging at 2 o'clock and I was in bed at 3 o'clock.

We will only discharge about 7000 tons here so we will soon be ready and they called me at 9 o'clock in the morning. Discharging completed at 10:12.

Pilot booked for 14 thirty, but it was not until 5 o'clock when they came onboard. I managed to get a picture of one Pied Crow while waiting for the pilot.

Pied Crow

Listen to the Pied Crow

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my Canon R7 and converted to mp3. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Flying around calling and I tried to make a recording, too much noise from the ventilation fans.

+++++++++++++++
Monday 7 ^th of July 2025 and heavy rain when I came on the bridge at 6 o'clock in the morning. We are anchored at Conakry OPL Anchorage since 01:42 this morning. We will heavy up the anchor at 9 o'clock to go inside.

Surveyors will come onboard to take cargo samples while we are drifting. When they are ready we will return to the anchorage. I left the bridge at 8 o'clock and I spotted two House Crows. Landing on the boat, taking of a few minutes later.

My first birds reported from Guinea, country #83 on my eBird world map.

We start drifting at 10 o'clock and the Surveyors came onboard at 12 o'clock. Of course, they had lunch before they started to take the samples. I interrogated the Surveyors about bird watching and guides in Conakry.

The Surveyors had told us that we will be alongside for 2 to 3 weeks discharging in to trucks. And that means that we will sign off here in Conakry and I started to look for Birding Guides in Gambia and Senegal on my way to Europe.

We left the inner anchorage around 15:30 when the Surveyors left us and we dropped anchor just before 5 o'clock in the afternoon. And we had two House Crows flying around the boat and I got a picture. And the House Crow turned out to be an eBird Rare Bird Alert.

House Crow

House Crow

eBird Rare Bird Alert

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 8 ^th of July 2025 and it was pouring down when I came on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. Not one single minute of sleep during the night so I went straight to bed when I left the bridge at 8 o'clock. Well, first we had to make a WORK ALOFT PERMIT for the crew so they could work in the life boat davit.

I got my “working Birding Itinerary” for Gambia, so we will work from. I have planned to stay for around 7 days, most likely a day or two extra.

The itinerary will be flexible and is as follows.
Day 1 From airport birding around the Kotu Creek plus an hour canoe trip.
Day 2 pickup from your hotel to Brufut woods and Tanji bird reserve full day
Day 3 pickup from your hotel birding on the way through the south bank road to Kuntaur there will have a boat trip to the River Gambia national Park to see Chimpanzee, hippos and birds and night stop at Georgetown at Island hotel.
Day 4 birding around the area off Georgetown and afternoon boat trip in the Gambia River
Day 5 depart Georgetown birding stopping at various hot spots heading down to the coast.
Depending on the time day 5 we can stay overnight at Tendaba Camp.

I wait for an itinerary for Senegal, I have given up on Guinea as I cannot find any Guide here. So, I can stay a few days extra in Gambia and Senegal.

Rain all day long, except for a couple of hours in the afternoon and the crew could continue the full coat on the poop deck.

Painting poop deck

Painting poop deck

The day came to an end without any observed birds. But there will be at least two more days anchored so I might see something tomorrow.

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 9 ^th of July 2025 and again, raining when I came on the bridge at 8 o'clock in the morning. It was raining until almost 8 o'clock when I left the bridge for a power nap.

Alarm set to go off at 9 and I went to the CCR to prepare for our drills. I stopped to do my laundry on the way and it will be ready when I am going back to my room after lunch.

The day came to an end without any observed birds.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 10 ^th of July 2025 and it started to rain around 6 o'clock in the morning. Heavy rain, and it was still raining after lunch when I went to my room to try to get some sleep. Pilot at 16:30 and we expect a full night in the CCR.

So, some rests are needed. We had managed to do all the pre-arrival test and checks before the coffee break. And we completed the Enclosed Space Rescue Drill before lunch. All drills for the month of July are now ready.

Anchor a weight 20 minutes before 5 o'clock in the afternoon, going to inner anchorage to pick up pilot at 18:00. Of course, the Pilot was not ready when we arrived and we had to wait.

We passed the container terminal and we had the first line ashore at Alport Terminal just after 8 o'clock in the evening. The jetty did not look to be up to date. and we had a ship behind us and we only had a couple of meters between us when we had all fast.

Looks like we will be here for at least two weeks. We will discharge to trucks from 8 o'clock in the morning until midnight, maximum rate 250 m3/h. We will discharge to the ship behind us between midnight and 6 o'clock in the morning, maximum rate, 500 m3/h

Passing Conakry container terminal

Alport Terminal

Very close to the ship behind us

+++++++++++++++
Friday 11 ^th of July 2025 and we start discharging at 02:42 and we stop at 02:43 as their cargo hose is leaking. They ask me if I can continue discharging as they do not have any new hose.

It was 9 o'clock in the morning when they called me to tell me that they had changed hose so we could resume discharging. I went back to my room, impossible to sleep even though I was so tiredthat I had head ache.

I did the monthly gas detection equipment calibration and I went to look for some birds on deck in the afternoon. Low water so there are some mudflats and I could spot four herons, dark coloured but I could not ID the birds.

One Great Cormorant landed next to our boat and the bird was hunting for a while before disappearing. Three Hooded Vultures were soaring above the area.

Great Cormorant

Looks like the new guys will come onboard on the 17th and we will go home on the 19th. I will stay in Conakry for a few days, not finding any bird guide so I will make it short. Flying to Senegal on the 22nd of July for a week of bird watching before going to Gambia.

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 12 ^th of July 2025 and they called me at 9 o'clock in the morning. The garbage collector was onboard to collect our garbage. I went back to my room after one o clock and I went on deck to see if there was any birds.

Two Pied Kingfishers was sitting on the head-lines from the tanker behind us.

Pied Kingfisher

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 13 ^th of July 2025 and we stop discharging at 10:36, leaking cargo hose. They had been clever when the removed the hose when we first started to discharge. They had just turned the hose, end to end so the leaking was on the jetty.

We discovered this today and we stopped discharging and it was stop for about 6 hours while they brought another cargo hose.

+++++++++++++++
Monday 14 ^th of July 2025 and We expect to be ready around 18th of July, around lunch time. And I expect to have lunch at NOOM Hotel Conakry where I am booked until my flight leave for Dakar on the 22nd of July.

I spotted at least three Pied Kingfishers and one Whimbrel foraging on the mudflats when the tide went out during the afternoon.

Pied Kingfisher

Whimbrel

+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 15 ^th of July 2025 and I can put another bird to my list of observed birds in Guinea, the Laughing Dove. Chief Engineer spotted them on deck from the CCR just before 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I went out to have a look.

I flushed them, but I got a good look from the CCR before going on deck.

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 16 ^th of July 2025 and I am called for in the middle of the night. They have closed a valve ashore and discharging came to a full stop. They confirmed that everything was open at the terminal so the problem must be onboard.

Finally, after an hour, they told us to resume discharging and now it was working better. They had have a valve, and looking at the pump log it seems like their valve had been closing slowly during the night. Now the valve was full open and we were kicking behinds.

I managed to record some of the Pied Kingfishers around the ship after lunch when I was stand-by while Pumpan was working aloft painting on our lifeboat davit.

Listen to the Pied Kingfisher

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my Canon camera and converted to mp3. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Noise from the engine room ventilation destroys the recording. At least 5 Pied Kingfishers

I was in my room at 4 o'clock in the afternoon going for a power nap when I spotted 6 white egrets through my window. Flying by and I was not able to ID the birds so I could only report them as white egrets in eBird.

+++++++++++++++
Thursday 17 ^th of July 2025 and today is the day the new C/O is arriving, and yes, I am excited. I took over in the CCR at 6 o'clock after having loaded a laundry machine. Last laundry before I leave on Friday.

Depending on stops and slowdowns, we will complete discharging early afternoon tomorrow.

I completed reorganisation of my office. Moved in a shelf and other storage places and I could open the blind to get some day light in to my office. I spotted two Pink-backed Pelicans flying by and I went out to check it out.

I spotted a huge group behind our boat flying towards the sea. I started to count and I counted to 54 before they were too far away to continue the count. I reported the pelicans to eBird, at least 54. A new “lifer” for me, but no pictures.

New Chief Officer came onboard around 15 thirty and we spent a couple of hours to go throughthe paper work in the CCR.

We filled a box with old documents so he can start his contract with empty binders. A courtesy I practice as most Chief Officers seems to press in the last document in the binder (impossible to close properly) and they do not have to care about filing the documents. Very annoying.

We will meet in the CCR at 6 o'clock in the morning and we will make a tank cleaning plan and a “before entering a piratearea” report so the new Chief Officer does not have to worry about that.

It is the same paper work on all the ships so it should not be any problems for him when I leave Maersk Cancun tomorrow.

+++++++++++++++
Friday 18 ^th of July 2025 and I meet the new 3rd Officer when I come to releive 2nd Officer in the CCR at 6 o'clock in the morning. Our new Chief Officer arrives a couple of minutes after me.

We prepare the tank cleaning documents and the security report for entering the pirate area. We will complete discharging around 12 o'clock and the taxi will pick us up at 1 o'clock. Changed from 17 to 14 hundred. Now it is one o'clock and it will be nice to get off the ship.

10 minutes before 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and no sign of us leaving the ship. I said good bye and I went ashore. Better to wait ashore and if I am really lucky, I can see a bird.

Stepping down the gangway and I started a new eBird Trip Report and I completed my Lavera, France to Conakry, Guinea via Freetown, Sierra Leone eBird Trip Report.

eBird Trip Report

Since April 2023 eBird offer a new feature, to create Trip Reports. At least this is when I first heard of this feature and I have decided to make the eBird Trip Reports instead of my list of OBSERVED birds.

And of course, this also means that I will HAVE TO go back and do the same for my old birding adventures, WHEN I HAVE THE TIME!

Today's Trip Report: Lavera, France to Conakry, Guinea via Freetown, Sierra Leone | Click HERE

Download | PDF

Lifers
Icons for lifers used in the eBird trip reports

Species lifer:First time that someone observes a species in their life

Photo lifer:First time that someone photographs a species in their life

Audio lifer:First time that someone audio records a species in their life

Exotic species
Exotic species flags differentiate locally introduced species from native species.

Naturalized:Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).

Provisional:Either: 1)member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2)rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible.

When applicable, eBird generally defers to bird records committees for records formally considered to be of "uncertain provenance". Provisional species count in official eBird totals.

Escapee:Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
bred but don't yet fulfil the criteria for Provisional. Escapee exotics do not count in official eBird totals.

Leaving Maersk Cancun at Alport Terminal in Conakry

Leaving Maersk Cancun at Alport Terminal in Conakry

Leaving Maersk Cancun at Alport Terminal in Conakry

Our Agent brings the rest of the off signers.

Leaving Maersk Cancun at Alport Terminal in Conakry

Took 10 minutes and our Agent and the rest of the off signers joined me. We had to wait for 10 minutes or so for our mini bus to arrive. Spotting on bird just as the car arrived, the bird landed on top of the building next to us.

I could only see the tail so I had to put myself in a better position and I could see that it was one Red-eyed Dove.

I spotted one Laughing Dove sitting on the ground when we passed the gate to the terminal.

Red-eyed Dove

In the bus ready to leave

So, this is it from Maersk Cancun and I willhopefully see some birds here in Conakry before flying to Senegal. Click HERE to find out if there is any birds to see in Conakry!

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