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“The postings on this site are my own and don't represent Maersk Group's position, strategies or opinions. All views are my own”
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Wednesday 1st of July 2026 and we are still discharging gasoline in Genoa. We expect to complete discharging early Friday morning. 3rd day here in Genoa and we had a full day without any  inspections and the crew have a chance to go ashore.
I have had enough of going ashore, two pizzas and I will not eat pizza again for a very long time. I will have to skip several meals from now on to compensate for the pizza. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 2nd of July 2026 and yet another full day at Sigemi Terminal without any inspections. Last day in Genoa, expect to be ready early tomorrow morning.
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Friday 3rd of July 2026 and we left Genoa just before 10 o'clock in the morning. Bound for Santa Panagia on Sicily, not confirmed yet, but we will most likely load gasoline there.
Passing Corsica in the evening and I spotted a few Scopoli's Shearwaters and I could finally report some birds to eBird.  Scopoli's Shearwater
 Scopoli's Shearwater
 Scopoli's Shearwater
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Saturday 4th of July 2026 and not one single bird seen during the morning. In the afternoon, 120 km north of Sicily and I spotted one Scopoli's Shearwater flying over the sea in its typical shearwater style.
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Sunday 5th of July 2026 and it was most likely one Yellow-legged Gull flying next to us. Between me and the sun so the bird was just like a silhouette. We are making almost 20 km/h but the gull was overtaking us very comfortably. So, it was making good speed and I reported the bird as a gull sp.
The crew start to work on the deck and one of the ABs are busy painting the MOB davit outside the CCR and the davit will soon look good again.  Painting on deck
 Painting on deck
Coming on the bridge in the afternoon and it is time to change course towards NE east of Sicily. I spot two Scopoli's Shearwaters on the way to Santa Panagia and we expect to get the pilot onboard at 21:00. There is smoke coming out from Mount Etna. I joined Nord Supreme here back in 2023 and Mount Etna had erupted just before I arrived. Click HERE to read about Mount Etna.  Mount Etna
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Monday 6th of July 2026 and I can see the fire on the top of Mount Etna when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning.
We can read from today's The Sunday Guardian: Mount Etna Eruption: Disruptions Triggered ‘Code Red’ and Flights Cancelled at Catania Airport – Check Flight Cancellations, Rerouting & More Amid Yellow Alert
 Mount Etna
 Yellow-legged Gull
 Yellow-legged Gull
Nothing too exciting, but I got a few pictures of a Yellow-legged Gull. Bo other birds to wee around here today. No more flamingos so the gull will have to do. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 7th of July 2026 and I could see that Mount Etna seems to be active as soon as the day light was breaking. Black smoke coming out from the top of Mount Etna. The black smoke disappeared when the sun came up.
Mount Etna was soon starting to release steam and there was a huge release of steam coming out from the top of Mount Etna. But this was as exciting as it got during the morning.  Mount Etna
 Mount Etna huffin' and puffin'
 Audouin's Gull
Spotting one Audouin's Gull was a little bit exciting, a new bird for me in Italy. As in Barcelona, only Yellow-legged and Audouin's Gulls around. Lunch time and we got updated, no berthing today. Good, we have plenty to do on deck. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 8th of July 2026 and we got message, no berthing before 11th of July. We will also change almost all crew in Suez, just a few of us remaining onboard while we transit the Red Sea after discharging. War like Zone and people want to go home,
I will stay as I am  hopping to be able to report birds from Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen and Somalia. I have been here before and I had seen many birds.
Back then I was not using eBird so no birds reported. If I am extremely lucky, I will have more than 100 countries by the time we have passed Red Sea. +++++++++++++++
Sunday 12th of July 2026 and they call us quarter past 7 in the morning. “Pilot will be onboard in 45 minutes” Good, it is starting to get boring at the anchorage, and really not many birds to see around. So, it will be nice to leave the anchorage.
There were 21 flamingos flying in a line in front of the ship 20 minutes past 5 in the morning. They were flying towards shore very low over the water. All fast at ISAB Terminal jetty #6 at 9 thirty and we started loading at 12:36  Early morning on Santa Panagia anchorage
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Tuesday 14th of July 2026 and we complete loading at 07:18, good, they had had problem at the terminal or we would have finished at 2 o'clock in the morning.
We left Santa Panagia just before 10 o'clock and we were steaming towards Port Said when I came on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I was kind of excited, expected to see some birds. Absolutely ZERO birds showed up. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 15th of July 2026 and we had advanced ships time by one hour during the night and I was not on the bridge until 5 o'clock. Not one single bird seen during the morning.
Afternoon, wind increasing and we had a force 7 blowing from NW when I left the bridge at 8 o'clock in the evening. A full day without one single bird to report to eBird. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 16th of July 2026 and the wind is gone when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. A gorgeous morning, but not one single bird.
 Sun is coming up over the Mediterranean
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Friday 17th of July 2026 and we drop anchor at Port Said anchorage at 10:36. I had not seen one single bird since we left Santa Panagia in Italy. We expect to heavy up the anchor early morning to pass through the Suez Canal.
And I could see my first birds since we left Italy when I came on the bridge in the afternoon.  Sandwich Tern
 Sandwich Tern
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Saturday 18th of July 2026 and they call me at 5 thirty, we expect stores to be delivered. We are entering the Suez Canal in Port Said. We get the Canal Inspector onboard and as soon as he has left, we lift onboard our stores.
 Early morning when we enter the Suez Canal
And yes, Egypt have changed, no Sues crew onboard, no Electrician and no souvenir people. Usually, the ship is full of people during the passage, now we only have a pilot and no one have asked for any cigarettes. Not even the Pollution Officer that was onboard yesterday evening to collect our garbage. It was a really pleasant experience to have him onboard. No extra boat onboard and no souvenir shops. We sort out the stores and I go to see if I can see any birds along the Suez Canal. We are approaching Ismailla and there are plenty egrets and herons flying around.  fishing in the Suez Canal
 Early morning when we enter the Suez Canal
 Squacco Heron
 Common Tern
 Common Tern
 South bound traffic
 Little Egret
 Sand for long as I can see
 Passing Ismailla
 Passing Ismailla
 Passing Ismailla
 Ferry across the Suez Canal
 Passing under the bridge
 North bound traffic
 Slender-billed Gull
 Fishing in the Great Bitter Lake
There were Squacco Herons, many of them. Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets flying along the Suez Canal. Common Mynas making noise, so there was a lot of birds. A group of 5 Black-crowned Night Herons was flying across the Canal. Leaving Ismailla behind coming out on the Great Bittern Lake O spotted a few Slender-billed Gulls We approach Suez at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, we will get our new crew members onboard and some stores that was missing in the delivery in Port Said.  Passing Suez
5 new crew members are joining and 2 extra Painters. Seems like they have lost the Painters so it was only the crew joining us here in Port Suez. The Painters will most likely join tomorrow morning when they come to pick up the off signers on the anchorage. Still no berthing prospect, but I will not mind staying anchored for a few days so we can get some paint on deck. We drop the anchor at 5 o'clock in the afternoon and I could enjoy a beautiful sun set with the sun disappearing behind the mountains.  Sun is setting over Port Suez anchorage
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Sunday 19th of July 2026 and we are still anchored when I come on the bridge at 4 o'clock in the morning. The boat coming to pick up the off signers is on the way. The plan was for it to come at 5 o'clock, but obviously they are early.
The boat will bring the two Painters as well.  Sun is coming up over the Port Suez
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Monday 20th of July 2026 and our 3rd Officer and 2nd Engineer is leaving in the late afternoon. Still, no berthing prospects. But we need a souple of days anchored to be able to finish the painting of the hull.
In Sweden it is summer and my nephew is attending an American Car Club meeting. And it is not a  meeting for electric cars. And listening to the cars, seems like they are using a lot of high-octane gasoline. Comes with a premium price.
Nephew is not driving an electric car
Monday Aladdin Gym warming up for the fight
The fight ends with a DRAW
Monday fight night at Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya and Monday Aladdin Gym is fighting. Last  fight was a win so we have high expectations. The fight came to a draw, a wee bit disappointing. But it is not a lost fight, and some experiences are gained. +++++++++++++++
Tuesday 21st of July 2026 and it is almost a full day without any birds, except for terns. 10 minutes past 7 in the evening, almost time to go to bed, I am looking at the sunset. I had seen nothing but terns and gulls for the last couple of days. I see a bird flying across, white body and dark top. I think it is a usual tern or something. But it is flying and looking like a shearwater.
I grab my camera, but the bird is too far away for any good pictures. I hope to have someone at www.birdforum.net to help with the ID.  Caspian Tern
 Caspian Tern
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Wednesday 22nd of July 2026 and there is no news about our discharging. But I do not mind staying here for another week, then I will go home from here. Joining and signing off in Egypt.
 Sun is coming up over the Port Suez
Spotting one Arctic Skua in the late afternoon and I can put another bird to my list of observed birds in Egypt. Still no berthing prospects, and they have confirmed bunkering here on the anchorage. So, there is hope for me to leave the ship here in Suez.
 Arctic skua / Prasitic Jaeger
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Tuesday 28th of July 2026 and I meet the crew in the CCR at 6 o'clock in the morning. We got berthing news yesterday, berthing today morning. Good, and bad. My going home plans might go down the drain.
But good as it is getting very boring here now, and we have finished painting the hull. And I have had 3 Rare Bird Alerts at the anchorage, making it a total of 4 in Egypt so far. And in the last 7 days, all rare birds for Egypt are reported by me.  Cory's Shearwater
 Great Crested Tern
 Caspian Tern
 Long-tailed Skua
 Long-tailed Skua
 Anyway, we completed the test and checks before breakfast, still no news about any pilot boarding time. Pilot will board at lunch and we had heaved up most of the anchor chain to keep two shackles on deck in order to have to anchor up in a jiff when the pilot come onboard. Of course, no pilot and it was until 16:06 until the pilot boarded us. We do ullaging, sampling and paper work before the Surveyors leave us at 23:30. We will not start discharging until late tomorrow afternoon as they need to analyse the cargo before we can start discharging the gasoline. +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 29th of July 2026 and we started to discharge at 15:36 and we expect it to take around 30 hours. And we have got one Training Officer onboard from the company and he will be with us for a couple of days.
I will be going double with our new 3rd Officer during the first discharging as he is new, so some support until he gains some experience. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 30th of July 2026 and we complete discharging just before midnight. Daylight navigation only and I was hoping for departure 8 o'clock or so in the morning, giving me time for a couple of hours of sleep.
Loading Master told me that pilot would board us around lunch time, a wee bit too late as we need to do tank cleaning tomorrow after departure. +++++++++++++++
Friday 31st of July 2026 and our Pilot boar us at 9 thirty, earlier than expected and we drop anchor in the STS area at 12 o'clock. We are soon starting the tank cleaning in order to get tanks gas free before our STS operation here. We will load 245.000 Bbls. for Libya.
I was disappointed, I wanted to go to Libya to be able to report some birds from there. I spent a couple of hours on the bridge in the evening, not one single bird was seen. Maybe I have better luck in August. Click HERE to find out if I have any luck with the birds in August.
    
  You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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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
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.
Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have
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