At Sea
Endeavour has left Europe and is now well on its way to the Cape Verde Islands, an independent nation of Africa. The past days have been spent experiencing the cultures of the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Things move at a tranquil pace on these islands, relaxed people stroll the streets smiling and leisurely look inside the shop windows, a siesta in the afternoon is a must, and dinners start as late as 10 in the evening. Most of us on Endeavour have fallen into a serene state as well, leaving the urban rush behind. Today being our first day at sea, almost everyone was to be found out on deck, in sun or shade, where the warm winds of the tropics met us. The most commotion onboard was the occasional book dropping to the deck as its reader lulled by the gentle motion of the ship and the warmth of the sun, drifted into slumber.
But not all are putting their feet up – our keen-eyed naturalists are on a vigilant watch on the bridge for birds and marine mammals. They have yet to disappoint – today’s sighting was a pod of pilot whales. These small whales, usually 18 feet long, travel in large groups, sometime numbering over 50. Today we were able to drop our undersea specialist, Dennis Cornejo, and his splash cam team, to try and film these animals. What the splash cam revealed was a synchronized underwater ballet. As the whales journeyed together, their tails moved up and down in time, and when one dove the rest followed suit.
The undersea world on this Atlantic Odyssey almost never disappoints to show something spectacular. This spotfin burrfish was found tucked away amongst the rocks. As large as a labrador puppy, this fish can grow to 2 feet long. However, do not let the size frighten you, as this is quite a docile fish, but be warned if it feels threatened it can blow itself up with water (or air if quickly pulled from the water), revealing sharp spines, making capture or ingestion nearly impossible.
Back out on deck, the guests of Endeavour slip back into daydreaming of all the possibilities of what is to come, as we continue our transit to the Cape Verde Islands.
Endeavour has left Europe and is now well on its way to the Cape Verde Islands, an independent nation of Africa. The past days have been spent experiencing the cultures of the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. Things move at a tranquil pace on these islands, relaxed people stroll the streets smiling and leisurely look inside the shop windows, a siesta in the afternoon is a must, and dinners start as late as 10 in the evening. Most of us on Endeavour have fallen into a serene state as well, leaving the urban rush behind. Today being our first day at sea, almost everyone was to be found out on deck, in sun or shade, where the warm winds of the tropics met us. The most commotion onboard was the occasional book dropping to the deck as its reader lulled by the gentle motion of the ship and the warmth of the sun, drifted into slumber.
But not all are putting their feet up – our keen-eyed naturalists are on a vigilant watch on the bridge for birds and marine mammals. They have yet to disappoint – today’s sighting was a pod of pilot whales. These small whales, usually 18 feet long, travel in large groups, sometime numbering over 50. Today we were able to drop our undersea specialist, Dennis Cornejo, and his splash cam team, to try and film these animals. What the splash cam revealed was a synchronized underwater ballet. As the whales journeyed together, their tails moved up and down in time, and when one dove the rest followed suit.
The undersea world on this Atlantic Odyssey almost never disappoints to show something spectacular. This spotfin burrfish was found tucked away amongst the rocks. As large as a labrador puppy, this fish can grow to 2 feet long. However, do not let the size frighten you, as this is quite a docile fish, but be warned if it feels threatened it can blow itself up with water (or air if quickly pulled from the water), revealing sharp spines, making capture or ingestion nearly impossible.
Back out on deck, the guests of Endeavour slip back into daydreaming of all the possibilities of what is to come, as we continue our transit to the Cape Verde Islands.
