Today was a full day at sea as we continued our journey of about 600 nautical miles from Norfolk Island to Tanna Island in Vanuatu. And as is often the case, what seems like the prospect of a relaxed day at sea can turn out to be a busy day with a full set of activities on board.
Early this morning as the sun rose a seabird was found on deck. A red-tailed tropicbird had become stranded overnight, most likely disorientated by the lights of the ship and once on board it struggled to take off again without assistance. It attracted quite a crowd but was unflustered by the attention and, unharmed by the experience, it flew off strongly on release.
Our program of on board presentations continued our education about the region through which we are traveling. We also had an introduction to the prospect of snorkel operations during this voyage around the Coral Sea, and heard about the remarkable life of our guest speaker Valerie Taylor.
Meanwhile, on the open decks we were able to enjoy dining al fresco in the warm tropical climate. An afternoon ice cream sundae was a welcome addition to the day, and a vigil was maintained watching for wildlife. While it was a quiet day for seabirds, there were some interesting sightings of unusual petrels and a brief view of short-finned pilot whales. The vigil will continue tomorrow as we approach Tanna and make our much anticipated landfall in Vanuatu.
