12/10/2008

At Sea

We are making steady progress towards the Antarctic and today we experienced some of the famous motion of the Drake Passage. The morning began with the practical business of exchanging parkas for the correct size and to borrow some boots for the ship’s supply.

Shortly after that we gathered in the Darwin lounge for a general overview of the ship and an introduction to the expedition staff. It was impressive to hear that the staff has over 200 years of combined time working in the Antarctic.
It was a bit breezy out on the decks but even looking out the windows we has our first glimpse of the albatrosses and other seabirds zooming around the ship. One of our ornithologists, Dr. Patrica Silva, gave the first enrichment presentation and told us all about the seabirds we were seeing.

After lunch there was plenty of time to watch one of the movies broadcasted into the staterooms. In the mid-afternoon our photo coach, Richard Harker, gave us very helpful tips about how to use our cameras during the trip.
The last presentation of the day was by our historian John Dudeney who described many of the great expeditions of Antarctic explorers.

The last event of the day was the Captain’s Welcome Dinner in the main restaurant.