THE captain of a ship is normally found on the bridge – but no so for the man in charge of Southampton-based Queen Mary 2.
Standing on its protruding bulbous bow, Captain Kevin Oprey is dwarfed by the towering structure of the largest liner ever to have sailed the seas.
The Queen Mary 2’s master normally has a commanding view in the bridge 12 storeys above.
But when Captain Oprey, who hails from a long line of Southampton seafarers, posed for a photograph toasting tenth birthday he was given a whole new perspective on the majesty of the Southampton-based ship.
The amazing photograph was taken in while anchored at a port off the coast of Bali in the Pacific Ocean. Photographer James Morgan took the photograph after months of detailed planning in order to convey the sheer scale of the queen of the seas, which accommodates 2,620 passengers and 1,253 crew.
After spotting a window in the weather, which was required to be completely still, two boats were used to help perch the captain onto the bulbous bow which helps to stabilise the ship and streamline movement, and dips in and out of the water depending on the swell of the sea.
Mr Morgan said he captain was “very, very, very excited to be part of it” because it was somewhere he had never been.
The 151,200 tonne liner is currently completing a round-the-world journey to celebrate the tenth anniversary, culminating with a large celebration in Southampton in May.
For more on the Queen Mary 2, click here.
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