Bathed in tropical warmth, early risers watch the sky evolve through pinks and oranges, eventually reaching the golden glow of sunrise as the solar disc breaks through the eastern horizon. The ship slowly comes to life as morning stretchers join wellness specialist Ewa Bartkowiak on the Sun Deck. Breakfast and coffee are enjoyed in the relaxed atmosphere of the Outdoor Café as we are cooled by a gentle breeze.
Last night, we covered about 180 nautical miles through the Timor Sea on our way from embarkation at the Fort Hill Warf in Darwin, Australia to Com, East Timor for a short technical stop. We spend today at sea pushed along by modest swells that give us just enough motion to remind us that we are on a ship. It is a smooth, comfortable ride.
Our day proceeds at a relaxed pace with naturalist presentations preparing us for our visit to the Kimberley. In between we savor delicious meals, making it clear that we will be extraordinarily well cared for over the coming expedition. Expedition leader Darrin Bennett begins our presentation series with an overview of what to expect as we explore the Kimberley. Looking at the images and listening to Darrin’s descriptions, our interest is ramped up. Naturalist/photo instructor Eric Guth presents “An Introduction to Digital Photography” to help us to sharpen our photo skills for the upcoming days. This is followed directly by a breakout session in which Eric, National Geographic photographer Jeff Mauritzen, and other staff meet with us (with our cameras) in small groups to help us navigate through settings and other options and strategies for using our cameras on this voyage and into the future.
The afternoon continues with presentations by National Geographic’s Jeff Mauritzen “On Assignment as a National Geographic Photographer” and naturalist Damon Ramsey “Making of the Kimberley Coast,” about the geologic history of this region.
By about 4:00 p.m. land is sighted, though it will take hours before we reach Com. East Timor is our planet’s first newly sovereign nation of the twenty-first century. Independence was declared on May 20, 2002. Most of us join entertainer Glenn O’Neill for afternoon tea and Glenn’s wonderful mix of humor, music and trivia. Competitive juices flow and laughter erupts throughout the room.
Sunset Cocktail Hour on the Sun Deck, as we approach Com under a moon that is one day short of full, leads to another fine dinner which is followed by Glenn’s music to finish an exceptional beginning to our expedition.
