Location: Underway
Pirates sail with parrots, and apparently, this motley crew rolls with pigeons. Yes, Pigeons. This morning at 4:15, Watch Team One’s shift was interrupted by Andre’s shouts at the most startling discovery of a feathered stowaway. More shocking then mistaking a bird for a baseball cap was the reality of finding a pigeon halfway between the 580-mile passage from Jamaica to Honduras. The newest Argo member became known as Tag due to the identification anklet, which pegged this international avian explorer to be of Cuban nationality. How this little guy made it from Cuba to Jamaica is anyone’s guess, but he has settled into Argo lifestyle with surprising ease. After receiving some water and crumbs from the gentler souls on board, Tag began to warm up to the crew. Nowadays, he can be found chilling alongside students in the cockpit, occasionally even giving helming advice from his perch on the helmsmen’s shoulder. The only threat for Tag now is if the Captain gets fed up with cleaning bird poop off the deck and decides to chuck the little bugger overboard. This possibility is relatively small, however, seeing as there is no shortage of people willing to step up and take care of this unlikely mascot. It’s odd to think of what moments will most stand out when underway. On land, one would never consider the possibility of sustained interaction with a pigeon; the thought of being close to one of these rats with wings would be repulsive. It goes to show that life at sea has changed the way we view the world, making joy easier to find in even the most mundane moments. While the fate of our feathered friend remains uncertain, our time and adventures on Argo are sure to be marked with quirky surprises at every turn.