With glassy seas and no swells for most of the day, our day crossing the Banda Sea was a day for sitting on the bow and seeing what appeared. Flying fish were our constant companions, taking off as the ship approached. Many different species were discovered. Occasionally, a brown booby joined the party and attempted to catch the fish. It was entertaining to watch and a bit frustrating to photograph.
Various seabirds visited throughout the day, including an Abbott’s booby floating on a log. Some dolphins were spotted as well, and a highlight was a pod of a few hundred short-finned pilot whales. This amazing group of marine mammals lounged at the surface and surrounded our ship at one point. As sunset lit up the sky behind us, we made our way to great things ahead at Banda Island.
