The Southern Ocean has been kind to us today. Swell and wind have been minimal, and the fog of the dawn cleared as the morning progressed. Several whale species were seen early in the day, including such elusive deep divers as the sperm whale and southern bottlenose whale. An abundance of seabirds has also been spotted throughout the day. It is quite a luxury to see the best of the wildlife in this part of the world without having to deal with the weather that it’s famous for. This morning saw our Global Perspectives Guest Speaker Ken Taylor give a talk on the relationship between sea level rise and climate change, clarifying how the warming of the frozen parts of the earth impact the sea level globally. Topics like this heighten the sense of interconnectedness between the more exotic and extreme places, such as those we are visiting, and the places that we come from, and the urgency with which we need to address global issues. Following this, our photography team gathered in the lounge for a break out session to provide guidance to photographers as they wished.
The afternoon saw a slightly different occasion, and not one that often occurs. Guests were invited into some areas of the ship that are almost always restricted to crew access only. This included the stores, laundry and recycling room. Afternoon tea was served in the laundry, and the crew, including the hotel manager, were on hand to guide people around the inner workings of the ship. It provided an insight into the side of ship life that is largely unseen to guests, but is essential to their lives and experiences on board.
Following this, naturalist and historian Magnus Forsberg gave a talk on the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton, an ever present figure in the spirit of travel in this region of the earth. We then had our cocktail hour with a Recap and briefing before dinner, and rested in preparation for the busy days to come.
