Today was our second sea day since leaving behind Cape Verde and a wonderful day exploring Fogo and the volcano. It was a drizzly morning as we continued sailing north off the coast of West Africa towards Las Islas Canaries. We had some swell and wind this morning, reminding us that we were at sea.
We returned to a sea day schedule, which allowed for a little lie-in with a later breakfast. The morning’s programs began with naturalist Carlos Garrandés, who discussed the early voyages into the Atlantic, taking us beyond the Pillars of Hercules! This was followed by Santi’s presentation on the successful conservation story of the Hooded Grebe Project in the Patagonia National Park.
During lunch, the skies cleared. The sun was shining brightly as we crossed the Tropic of Cancer and said goodbye to the tropics. Throughout the afternoon, we spotted dolphins. Initially, they were away from the ship, but by midafternoon, a few started bow-riding! We also had a brief glimpse of a Bryde’s whale off the portside.
The afternoon was filled with more presentations, including Sævor’s lively discussion on commercial fishing and sustainability. This was followed by the hilarious Story Slam led by Andrew Evans. Several of our fellow travelers shared personal stories. Some were touching, and some left us in stitches!
The evening was capped off by the expedition team getting personal with a fun round of “How Well Do You Know Your Naturalists?” in the lounge. Some surprises for sure, and good fun was had by all!
