As the National Geographic Orion steamed towards Australia from the tropical islands to her North, cloudy skies greeted our early risers. Some of them joined our Wellness Specialist Kim in her stretch class on the upper sun deck. A delightful breakfast followed in the fresh surrounds of the Outdoor Café, setting the scene for a day of engaging activities, all at an easy and social holiday pace.
After breakfast, we gathered in the Lounge for a wonderfully entertaining set of presentations from our expedition naturalists. Cristiana Damiano gave a very informative presentation about climate change, a topic that always inspires a lot of discussion. Then Jimmy White gave a talk on “Marine Connectivity,” focusing on the intimate and multi-layered connections in our oceans’ web of marine life.
After a scrumptious lunch, it was time for a siesta on the sundeck or reading a book in the well-stocked library. Well-fed and well-rested, we then convened in the Lounge for a workshop led by Photo Instructor Doug, who taught us how to get the correct exposure with our cameras, as well as ways to get creative with our photography. Then National Geographic photographer Massimo Bassano gave an exciting talk about his assignments from the “edge of the world.” He also shared many colorful stories that wove in the history of the National Geographic Society.
As evening came, we spilled out onto the outer decks to enjoy the sunset, followed by fun conversation at Captain Brian Larcombe’s Welcome Cocktail Party. A lovely dinner awaited us in the restaurant as we sailed ever southwards, very much looking forward to the morning’s adventures.
