The sun rose to calm seas, stiff breezes, and red-footed and brown boobies soaring over the bow. National Geographic Orion was approximately 15 nautical miles south of the nearest land, tiny Pulau Selatan and its neighboring islets. We started off a relaxing day with morning stretches led by wellness specialist Stephanie on the sundeck.
We spent our day in transit, bound west-by-southwest, and we enjoyed a presentation program from the natural history staff. Undersea specialist Brett Garner kicked off the morning with a deep dive into the “what and how” of expedition diving. National Geographic photographer Chris Rainier followed with “Masks: from New Guinea to Africa,” a presentation regarding his work documenting tribal masks around the world. Naturalist Mike Greenfelder rounded out the educational content with “Top Ten Reef Fish Families,” and he shared beautiful images of our reef friends.
After a lovely evening barbeque at the outdoor cafe, we reached the highlight of the day: National Geographic Orion’s crew show! The seafarers aboard the ship are a talented lot. After solo acts, dance troupes, and cultural performances of Filipino heritage, we danced the night away as smooth seas slipped silently beneath the keel.
