This morning, National Geographic Explorer reached the northern coast of Guyana and made its way to the local pilot station, just to the north of the capital city, Georgetown. At 33 degrees Celsius (nearly 94 Fahrenheit), it was a fairly hot start to the day. Early risers who ventured onto the outer decks enjoyed the sight of dolphins as we sailed towards the South American continent.

Midmorning, we were treated to a presentation by National Geographic photo expert Kike Calvo entitled, “Easy Ways to Improve Your Photography.” Guests learned some fantastic tips to practice on our adventures over the next couple of weeks.

In the afternoon, we had our first expedition off the ship to Fort Island in Guyana, which is an island found within the Essequibo River system. Here we discovered some of the oldest buildings in Guyana dating back to 1744 and constructed by the Dutch Governor of the Essequibo colony. These buildings are now national monuments.