I have been quite struck by the color of the water as we cross the Atlantic. It is the most gorgeous deep, deep blue. The color varies depending on the skies, but when it is sunny, it is a beautiful blue that cannot be caught on film (or computer chip).

The ship’s navigator posts the chart with our course and it is fun to see our progress. This picture is quite fuzzy since it was shot through glass, but you can see our route across the Atlantic. They pointed out early on that we had passed through part of the Bermuda Triangle, but we exited unscathed and I don’t recall seeing any UFO’s.

Following our series of astronomy lectures, we had an evening of stargazing on one of the top decks the other night. They turned off the upper lights of the ship for it, so we got a great view of the stars and planets. Unfortunately, there were broken clouds, so we had an added challenge. Of course, about 10 seconds after the bridge turned the lights back on, the clouds cleared up completely! No matter, even with the lights we were able to see Venus, Mars, Saturn, and lots and lots of stars. Very cool.

On our last sea day as we headed towards Ponta Delgada in the Azores, we finally picked up a little more chop and swell, but the ship’s stabilizers really give a pretty smooth ride. The night before we pulled into Ponta Delgada, though, we hit even more swell and we could really feel the difference. Rather than long, wallowing rolls, however, the motion is a little more jerky and unpredictable. That probably helps with seasickness, and I assume that is what the stabilizers are doing. It kind of reminds me of how it feels when you are in bed and there is a small earthquake. Sometimes it goes on for a bit, other times it is quite brief. I don’t mind it at all, but it can make things creak in the cabin a lot! And you want to move the hangers so they don’t rattle all night.

Sperm whales are regular residents of the area around the Azores, so I have been on whale watch on and off for the last couple of days. It’s hard to fit that in, though, between sleeping, eating, reading, etc, etc. I did, however, spot two small spouts in the water two days ago and I am sticking to my story that it was a small whale. Had to be!

-T