MONDAY 2 FEBRUARY 1953 OVERCAST. FLA. IN SIGHT AT 6:30 A.M. (AT LEAST). LAUGHING GULL ADDED TO OUR LIST OF SHIP FOLLOWERS; BECAME MORE NUMEROUS AS WE CLOSED ON COAST. WE ARE RUNNING WELL IN (LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES). 74°F AT 12:30. SIX OR MORE TAFETERS JOINED US FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, SOARING OVERHEAD, LOW OVER WAVES AND OCCASIONALLY RESTING ON WATER. MUCH VARIATION IN PLUMAGE; SOME WITH MUCH MOTTLLING ON TRUMP + ALL THE WAY UP BACK, SOME WHITE UNDERNEATH, SOME DARK, SOME WITH DARK OF HEAD COMPLETELY ISOLATED BY BUFFY NECK + NAPE FEATHERS. NONE WITH REALLY WELL DEVELOPED CENTRAL TAIL FEATHERS (MOST - 1/4 OR 1/3 TOTAL LNGTH) SOME WITH SPLATCHES OF WHITE IN 2'S, ABOUT OR SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN LAUGHING GULLS. BLOWING OUT OF THE S.E., PASSED MIAMI AT 11 A.M. PASSED WEST PALM BEACH AT ABOUT 9:10 A.M. MANY FISHING BOATS OFF SHORE. ABOUT 1 GANNET/HOUR. NOW ONLY ABOUT 45 MILES FROM BIMINI. WONDER HOW VAN VOORT IS DOING ON HIS BAHAMA EXP. SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LARGE TERN - CONFIRMED, 2 MORE (CASPIAN OR ROYAL) COULD NOT SEE 1'S WELL - SLICED BY SHIP - BLOWING HARD, OFF KEY WEST AT 7: P.M. COURSE 235° MY FIRST TIME IN THE GULF. WATCH SAYS WE WILL BE TOO EARLY FOR MARDI GRAS. VENUS VERY BRIGHT. STILL PASSING KEYS AT 11: P.M. MAN ON WATCH FROM BOSTON. MAKES SHIP MODELS. LAT. 26°-10' N STEAMING TIME 25 HRS. TOTAL TIME: LONG. 80°-04 W AV. SP. 14, 56 KT. 2D. 04 HR. 30 MIN. COURSE - VARIOUS WIND S.E. 3 NEW ORLEANS 646 MI. DIST. 364 MILES SEA S.E. SLIGHT NEWPORT NEWS 725 MI.