A day at sea is often a time to relax, catch up on some sleep, edit photos or compose a few post cards. Today was all that, and more.
The weather was surprisingly civilized, with relatively calm seas under a high ceiling of clouds. During the morning hours, the National Geographic Explorer crossed from the shallow waters that surround Svalbard into the very deep waters of the North Atlantic. At the deepest, there was almost two miles of water between our ship and the ocean floor.
For the early risers who were on the bridge for coffee, a few whales were spotted. A mother and calf humpback whale, and what we think was a fin whale, were on their way north in search of the cold-water bounty the arctic has to offer marine mammals.
The expedition team put on a full day of educational programs with lectures and photo workshops offered by the naturalists. From the life cycle of polar bears to the story of an Arctic balloon expedition, there was something to inform and entertain all the guests.
If you were by a window, it was hard to miss the parade of pelagic birds, mostly gulls and fulmars, some which followed the ship for hours. Others were content to fly by with hardly a glance, obviously with something more pressing on their agenda.
By dinner time, we were halfway between Svalbard and Jan Mayen, so tomorrow will be another day at sea.
