It has been a beautiful, clear day for our transit towards Norfolk Island. Even though we are in open seas and there have been storms nearby, our ship is traveling smoothly. It’s already getting warmer as we travel north, and we even ate our meals on deck.
This morning we got to know each other a little bit better with staff introductions. We have three Mikes on our team, so we expect some confusion!
Our plans for a photography presentation were delayed by an unexpected sighting of several large groups of flying squid. These are very rare to see. They use jet propulsion to send themselves into the air to evade predators. We watched in awe as their delicate bodies soared for a few seconds before disappearing underwater again. Afterwards, Mike Rigney carried on with an iPhone and Smartphone photo talk, and we had lunch.
We expected the seas to build, but they remained calm for the afternoon. This gave us a chance to learn from guest speaker Dan Myers about National Geographic’s Pristine Seas Program, which fights for targeted protection of the ocean’s wildest places. Lindblad Expeditions has been a significant donor to this program since it began in 2008.
After teatime, National Geographic Photography Expert Kike Calvo shared his passion for visual storytelling. He offered many ideas to improve our photography, along with an impressive show of his own work.
Later, our first recap set the scene for the days to come. As we head for bed tonight, we hope for calm enough conditions to set ashore at Norfolk Island, a tiny part of Australia that is very difficult to reach.
