We were scheduled to give a photography presentation during prime time on Monday. On our cruise ship, prime presentation time is just prior to the restaurants opening for dinner (7:00pm). We were schedule for 6:30, almost guaranteeing a large crowd of hungry viewers. Kathryn and I had been spending some of our cruise time getting our presentation in order. We were putting on the final touches, when we were contacted by our cruise director, Jan.

“Jeff, we are going to move your presentation out two days. The ship will be making a short stop at Stac Lee during your time slot. There will be too much competition. You will not get any audience and you will want to photograph it yourself.”

“What’s a Stac Lee?”

“A sea stac,” she said as if I was a moron of the sea. She could be right, I suppose.

I went back to our cabin. What the heck is a sea stac? And, why isn’t there a “k” ant the end of stac? I had to get some answers. I logged into the internet (which is no small feat in the middle of the ocean) to my favorite on-line encyclopedia:

“Stac Lee is a sea stack in the St Kilda group off the west coast of Scotland. An island Marilyn, it is home to part of the world’s largest colony of northern gannet.”

Well, that was helpful. I delved a bit deeper.

“A stack or sea stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by wave erosion.”

After some more detective work I determined that a sea stac greater that 150 meters (490 feet) is called a “Marilyn.” I believe Marilyn Monroe was stacked – now I understand!

All kidding aside, Stac Lee was amazing. Kathryn and I were glad to defer our presentation.

At first look, the sea stack looks like a rock.

So many birds, over 120,000 of them living here.

Zoomed in look at the top of the stack.

Not sure what is in his mouth. Sticks for a home? Food for the youngins? Food from our ship?

I never did find out about the missing “k”. But, it’s still all about the light.