Chapter 59

In this chapter Pi begins to take notes on the effects of his movement on the lifeboat and the raft and how they maneuver within the sea. When he pulls the boat closer, the boat rocks and waves, upsetting Richard Parker. As Richard Parker howls, the last vestiges of life in the rats and cockroaches flee the boat. When Pi returns to the tarpaulin he notes that Richard Parker has marked his territory only underneath the cover. He snags some rain water that has collected and drinks it, then replaces it with his own urine and marks the top of the tarpaulin to claim his own territory. His next step is to pull out the solar stills and string them along behind the boat. He adds a seat and a small shelter to the raft and watches the tiger. When he has his raft sufficiently stocked, he lets it out and watches Richard Parker from afar. While he’s watching, he notices below that there are dozens of different creatures in the sea below him. He sees that there are even more creatures than he originally thought when he only saw dolphins on the boat.