Today we had a full day at sea as we sailed farther west from the Antarctic Peninsula than any other expedition ship this season. We woke up to the dark blue Southern Ocean punctuated by various icebergs. Southern fulmars, Antarctic petrels, and snow petrels marked our passage by occasionally soaring alongside the ship.
In the morning, we learned more about our visiting scientists, Claire and Melissa, and the Project MOFOP: Marine Observation Platform of Opportunity. Claire and Melissa described the work they are doing during our journey, which focuses on recording cetaceans. Later in the morning, naturalist Katya Uryupova gave an informative presentation on Antarctica’s keystone species, Antarctic krill.
Following the usual scrumptious lunch fare, naturalist Marylou guided guests through a sketching class, using Antarctic wildlife as models. Before recap, naturalist Mark Vogler gave an entertaining presentation on “21 Cool Facts about Antarctica.”
The day came to a close with a recap and a briefing for tomorrow. After dinner, photo instructor Sue Forbes led a photo critique.
