At Sea
Looking out the port hole of the cabin on a day like today brings joy to the soul. The early sun illuminates the calm sea of the Atlantic Ocean, favorable winds allows the ship to advance with ease towards to the islands of Cape Verde; our heading is southwest reaching a speed of 13 knots.
The daily program entails a variety of presentations and workshops together with afternoon tea, music and an evening gathering in the lounge with recapitulation of the days encounters while enjoying a cocktail or two.
Today I presented what I love to do as the Undersea Specialist on board, a video presentation of my dives in the marine world that surrounds the island of Madeira. We take a journey into the realm of Garajau Marine Reserve where the animals allow for close encounters, they show no fear, a rare experience these days in the otherwise heavily impacted marine world.
The largest predator was the Dusky Grouper, only one of the residents of the 100 feet deep seafloor. An impressive fish to watch but perhaps the most captivating inhabitant was an eight armed cephalopod, the octopus. This highly intelligent shell-less mollusk paraded in front of the camera as if a stage was set and "action" was called. The arm movement of the octopus as it advanced from its hiding place across the bottom was fascinating. We saw how it literally walked across the sand and when this creature decided to return to it’s hiding place, all mantle openings closed, muscles contracted and the water exiting the siphon ‘flew’ this magnificent mollusk back to its home.
The blue seas of the Atlantic stayed calm throughout the day and into the night, we turn back the ship's clock another hour in preparation for an early arrival tomorrow morning into the most northwestern island of the Cape Verdes, Santo Antao.
Looking out the port hole of the cabin on a day like today brings joy to the soul. The early sun illuminates the calm sea of the Atlantic Ocean, favorable winds allows the ship to advance with ease towards to the islands of Cape Verde; our heading is southwest reaching a speed of 13 knots.
The daily program entails a variety of presentations and workshops together with afternoon tea, music and an evening gathering in the lounge with recapitulation of the days encounters while enjoying a cocktail or two.
Today I presented what I love to do as the Undersea Specialist on board, a video presentation of my dives in the marine world that surrounds the island of Madeira. We take a journey into the realm of Garajau Marine Reserve where the animals allow for close encounters, they show no fear, a rare experience these days in the otherwise heavily impacted marine world.
The largest predator was the Dusky Grouper, only one of the residents of the 100 feet deep seafloor. An impressive fish to watch but perhaps the most captivating inhabitant was an eight armed cephalopod, the octopus. This highly intelligent shell-less mollusk paraded in front of the camera as if a stage was set and "action" was called. The arm movement of the octopus as it advanced from its hiding place across the bottom was fascinating. We saw how it literally walked across the sand and when this creature decided to return to it’s hiding place, all mantle openings closed, muscles contracted and the water exiting the siphon ‘flew’ this magnificent mollusk back to its home.
The blue seas of the Atlantic stayed calm throughout the day and into the night, we turn back the ship's clock another hour in preparation for an early arrival tomorrow morning into the most northwestern island of the Cape Verdes, Santo Antao.
